Hard Drive Singer
by VocalRaynbow
Summary: When Mari, aka 'Master', gets a virus in her computer, she is transported into her computer. Now in the Database, the Vocaloids and UTAUs are at war with the Fanmades. Will they prevail, with the aid of Mari? Or will Akaito and his cronies take over?
1. Chapter 1

_When Mari, aka 'Master', gets a virus in her computer, she is transported into her computer. Now in the Database, the Vocaloids and UTAUs are at war with the Fanmades. Will they prevail, with the aid of Mari? Or will Akaito and his cronies take over?_

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 1

Just another average summer day for Mari. Hot, stiff, and very humid. She yawned in the afternoon heat. No point going outside. They didn't have a pool, and the community one was closed, for whatever reason. So she chose to log onto her computer. Maybe make a video or something.

She flicked the power button. Normal startup screens. Nothing to worry─Woah. Was that the login screen? It was, instead of blue and green, orange and red. The heck? Did her brother mess with her computer again? Ugh. Thinking it was a one time glitch, she logged in. Her desktop was white, with 'You've got a trojan!' basically written all over it. She grimaced. He really had messed with her computer.

She clicked open Opera, ignoring the million pop-ups. It directed her to some porn website. Averting her eyes, she typed in Google. She was quite relieved to see the search engine's homepage. She typed in 'anti trojan software free' in the box, and clicked 'I'm Feeling Lucky'. She didn't feel like searching through hundreds of websites. She just wanted to kick that virus out with a 'Don't let the door hit 'ya on the way out'.

A page popped up. The program looked reliable enough. It was supposed to do a scan and delete anything that looked suspicious. She hit the download button. A fairly quick wait. About five minutes passed. Finally, it finished, and she opened the program. Instantly, she felt a lurch in her stomach. A sensation in her back, like she was being pushed forward. She reached over to close the program, but her arms were glued to her sides. Oh, great. First she gets a virus. Now she's paralyzed.

Suddenly, the world around her was black. The throbbing worsened, and for a moment, she felt like she was flying. The wind rushed under her feet. The air pushed against her from the front. And she felt like she was being passed though something cool and refreshing, like a wall of water. And yet, it wasn't water. It wasn't wet, and it felt fairly solid. It held its shape. Like a phantom wall. It sent a shiver down her spine.

What the heck was this? She went from having a trojan to having hallucinations. This was some dream. And very realistic. It wasn't foggy and vague at all. She had perfect perception of the moment. Which kind of sucked. She couldn't wait to wake up in her nice, warm bed. Right? Wasn't she going to wake up, snuggled between thick covers?

Then her head began to ache. Her mind slowed. Her thoughts seemed garbled and nonsensical. And she lost consciousness. Ah, finally. She would wake up. What a pleasant dream. Although she could've gone without the stomach lurching. Urgh.

-------

"Oh! I think she's waking up."

"Who do you think she is?"

"Dunno. Maybe a new UTAU?"

Mari's eyes shot open. She was not in a warm, comfortable bed. She was not snuggled deep in blankets. She was sprawled on a grassy field, where two blond haired twins were crouched over her, occasionally poking her with sticks. Somehow, she had changed clothes. She was now wearing a short sleeved orange shirt with a flower between the collar folds, a pair of white shorts, boots, and fingerless gloves. And, upon further inspection, a pair of headphones. How strange. "The heck happened?" she muttered groggily, still half asleep.

The twins did a double take. The boy stared at her with large, bugged eyes, and the girl gawped widely. The girl had short blonde hair, pinned with barrettes, and with a large bow at the top. She wore a yellow themed sailor top that ended around her midriff, and a pair of black shorts, boots, and arm-warmers. Her brother, on the other hand, wore his blond hair in a messy ponytail. He also wore a yellow sailor styled top, although his was of average length. His basketball shorts were black, and lined with yellow, and he also wore the same boots and arm-warmers.

"S-Sorry," the boy apologized, rubbing his head. "We didn't expect you to wake up. You looked out cold." I wasn't mad at him or anything. It was a natural response. Actually, she was confused. Where was she, and why was she there? And how could she get back home? "You must be a new UTAU," he continued, more confident now. "Your creator must have dumped you here. I'm Len, and this is my sister, Rin. Welcome to the database," he finished, grinning.

"Database?" Mari said blankly. What in the world were they talking about? She scratched her head confusedly. "And what's an UTAU?"

"EH?" Rin leaped up, clearly flabbergasted. "You don't know what the Database is? And you don't even know what an UTAU is? What kind of singer are you?" She looked skeptically at Mari. She was suspicious. 'She didn't know if she could trust me,' she thought. 'I would do the same thing,' Mari thought with a sigh.

"Calm down Rin," Len said, exasperated. "Maybe there's a bug in her oto file, or something." He patted her on the shoulder, and she sat. But she still looked alert. What, did she think she was some stalker? The poor girl's only thirteen! How could she be in any trouble? "May I scan you?" Len asked politely. She, oblivious, nodded. She pictured a blue ray coming out from his eyes and running up and down her.

"LEN!" Rin growled, angry. Then, when Len looked at her, she threw in an innocent expression. "Y-You've never scanned me before." She frowned and blushed lightly, throwing in some moe tears for extra effect.

Len's face instantly turned beet red. "Er, that's 'cause you're my sister. That'd be twincest. B-But if you insist..." he trailed off, obviously uncomfortable. Mari furrowed her brow, perplexed. Why would he be embarrassed about 'scanning' his─OH GOD. He must mean─

Rin cut my thoughts off with a loud, "Yes!" They leaned toward each other, Len blushing and Rin looking moe again. This is just like a fanfiction! She should've brought her popcorn. And maybe an iced tea. She was never one for soda. Their lips finally hit each other. Len leaned in a bit, and they broke away. Both looked rather flustered.

"The reason you have to scan through a kiss is because all of a Vocaloid and UTAU's data is stored within their mouth. It's how we sing so well. Rin, all of your files seem in order. Though your 'k' files are a bit high in amplitude," he winked. Rin beamed. "How about I take you back to VocaUTAU Central?" he said to Mari, smiling. "They can preform tests on you there."

"Alright," Mari replied. "I don't do blood samples though." She put on a stubborn expression, and crossed her arms.

"Blood sample?" Len and Rin said in unison, shaking their heads. What other nonsense was this UTAU's head full of?


	2. Chapter 2

AN- Just saying, the ages in this are a bit different. Kaito is sixteen, Luka is seventeen, the twins are fifteen, Gakupo is eighteen, and Miku is fifteen. 'Kay?

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 2

"Shoot, that thing is big," a girl gasped, pointing at a large structure in the distance. Brown hair, eyes the color of the midday sky. Mari, of course, was her name. And the structure she so eagerly pointed at? It was indeed large, with the gate looming well above any normal person's head and lined with translucent blue panels. If you looked close, you could see a man standing in front of it, looking bored as can be.

"Ah, that'd be the VocaUTAU Center," a boy smiled. He had blonde hair tied up in a messy ponytail, and round blue eyes. He gave off a cheerful, yet calm vibe. He had control. This boy, Len, craned his head behind Mari, so that his eyes were focused on yet another person. His cheeks were tinted the faintest red.

This last person, a girl, pouted, so that her plump lower lip stood out considerably. She, like the boy, had hair the color of sunlight, but her's was held by a large white bow, and pinned with various barrettes. Her eyes, also like his, were of a light azure. She and the boy looked a great deal alike, for they were twins. Well, supposedly. The girl, Rin, whined, "Who _cares_? I just want to get home so I can wash my mouth out with soap. Len, you're a _horrible_ kisser." She grimaced.

Len's face turned beet red, and he suddenly had no words. So much for control. He just stared at the ground, shuffling uncomfortably down the rugged path. Kissing? Mari thought they were scanning. Was there a difference? She shook her head with a sigh. It would take a lot for her to understand the twins. Heck, half the time it was like they were speaking in another language.

Soon they had reached the gate, sweaty and exhausted. Len looked up, finally. In front of them was a handsome young man. He looked around sixteen, and had a smooth face framed with blue hair. A bit unusual. But hey, maybe he could explain this. Mari adopted a hopeful expression. And maybe she could get back home. Maybe.

The man smiled charmingly. "What can I do for you, Kagamines? And who is your friend?" He winked at Len, who merely shook his head. Kaito's smile faded slightly. But he still looked as cheerful as ever. She wondered what their silent exchange had been about.

"This is Mari," Len introduced. "We think she's an UTAU of some sort, because she doesn't resemble any Vocaloids or UTAUs I know, and we haven't gotten word about a new Vocaloid. But could you scan her Kaito, just to be sure?" Len said. He looked sort of proud for finding a new 'UTAU', whatever that was. But suddenly Mari realized something. This guy was going to scan her? She blushed slightly. And Len said his name was Kaito. Does everyone here have a strange name?

Kaito nodded, smiling. And the next thing she knew, his lips were on hers. She felt a warm ray inside of her mouth. Yes, scanning for the files. Scanning for things that didn't exist. He confirmed her thought by pulling away, confused. "There are no files. No wavs, no frqs, no otos, no files whatsoever!" he spoke breathlessly, for some reason. Maybe it was due to his befuddlement. After all, she was always a misfit.

"Really, Kaito? Why don't you try a body scan?" Len suggested mildly, severely perplexed himself. "An artificial one, of course," he added. Kaito nodded. He took Mari by the hand and led her inside the building. It looked like a mall, with various homes and stores inside it. He walked her over to the information desk, were a woman sat patiently. She had long pink hair, and soft eyes. He cleared his throat, and she snapped her head toward his face suddenly, as if in a daze.

"Oh! I'm sorry Kaito, what do you want?" she sounded a bit tired, as if she hadn't gotten that much sleep the night before. When he told her about needing a full body scan, she nodded alertly. "I'll get Miku." And with that, she disappeared into a crowd, rose hair streaming behind her. Mari looked over at Kaito, and noticed that his cheeks were pink. Did he like her? But then, she noticed a girl walking beside the pink haired woman. She looked about fifteen, with long teal pigtails and a movie star smile. She wheeled a cart with a computer on it, seemingly oblivious to the people gawping at her as she passed by.

"That'd be Miku," she heard Rin grumble. Miku walked up to her, handing 'Luka' and Kaito a few plugs and a large suction cup. She placed it on Mari's forehead. It clung to her skin like a parasite. And oh god it itched. She longed to scratch it, but knew she couldn't. And as the computer whirred to life, she felt lightheaded, dizzy. She found herself falling into Kaito's arms. Her eyes drooped, her head spun. It was like that amusement park ride she went on, where you flew up, hundreds of feet in the air, while the other people went down. And you kept on swinging. She felt like she was on that ride with her father again, and she felt a jab of pain in her head. Ow.

Miku removed the suction cup, scowling. "I don't know _what_ this freak is. She has no files, not even a Singer Editor file. I looked." She then flipped her foul expression to an innocent, 'moe' one. Sniffling, tears, and a blush. "I-I don't know what to do, Kaito!" She looked up at him, and his face turned red. Inside, she smirked with triumph. She could win over any man with little effort.

"Ah, Master, nice to see you," said a silky voice from behind them. Mari turned around. Who was 'Master'? She then noted the owner of the voice's appearance. He was a thin man, with long purple hair and a long labcoat that brushed the floor. He clutched a clipboard in his right hand. Luka instantly blushed.

"What are you talking about, Bakupo?" she snarled. "Or did I kick you _in a certain place_ so many times that you got delirious?" There was an edge to her voice. In a certain place? Mari almost burst out laughing. Rin actually did. She was doubled over with laughter, while the violet haired man looked annoyed.

"While that _did hurt_," he began, wincing slightly, "I truly believe that this girl is Master. No files, and still talks. What other explanation could there be?" He smirked arrogantly. He obviously thought he had stumped everyone, and that they would be forced to believe him. Well, in a way he was right. The others were staring at him in shock, unable to shoot out a rebuttal. Seeing Mari's confused face, he said, "Master is our leader, the one who controls us, and our world, the Database. I suppose Master is like a god, in a sense."

Mari blinked. "What, you think I'm your 'god'?"


	3. Chapter 3

AN- M'kay. Not much to say this time. But thanks for the reviews so far guys! I really appreciate them. n_n (Oh, and this chapter is in Mari's point of view)

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 3

"Precisely," 'Bakupo' said, glad that I had understood. "You write our songs, draw out our lives, tell us what to sing. Yes, you must be Master." He then called something out. I didn't quite catch what he said, but it sounded like 'Gumi'. Gumi? Was it his pet or something? God, everyone has a strange name here.

But 'Gumi' was no dog. Apparently, she was a pretty girl with shoulder length green hair. She had a pair of goggles on her head, and a complex outfit consisting mostly of an orange top, a see through belly cloth, a ruffled skirt, and white boots. Sure, she had other accessories, but that was the main gist of it. "Yes, Gakupo?" she chirped, skipping over. Ooh, so Gakupo was his name. Whoops.

"Test this girl," Gakupo smiled. "Make sure she is Master. And if she isn't, _uninstall_ her." A shiver went down my spine as he said that. Uninstall me? If I wasn't who he thought I was, I would be killed? Hm, maybe I'd better leave before things get out of hand. I didn't want my head chopped off or anything. Urgh.

The other people looked at him in shock and disgust (except for Gumi; she just nodded obediently). I felt Kaito wrap his arms around me shoulders protectively. K-Kaito, we've just met. Then again, he must think I'm Master. If I die, they'll either disappear, or be left without a leader. They'd erupt in chaos. I hope I'm Master. I don't want to die. "Gakupo, we don't want to _kill_ her. Imprison her maybe, but not kill her." Did those words just come from Miku's mouth? I knew I didn't like her. She wore such an 'innocent' and 'pure' frown. Innocent my butt. "Right, Kai-Kai?" she smiled softly.

I looked up at Kaito. He looked like he was searching, searching for the right words. Finally, he spoke. "No, Miku," he said, as if it were painful. "I do not believe she should be imprisoned. She has done no wrong. If she is not Master, then it is our error, not hers." He wet his lips, waiting for her contradiction. Waiting for someone to hit him over the head. He prepared for the blow. Of course, it never came.

"God, _another_ person under her spell," Miku growled, and stomped away. My spell? It's _her_ spell that all the boys are under. Not mine. Not Rin's. Her's. She could run the world if she wanted, with that smile. The boys would all collapse at her feet. But I wasn't jealous. I didn't want a power like that. Len, Kaito, and Gakupo all stared in confusion as she stormed out, while us girls merely shook our heads. We couldn't see how they liked her. I can't see one likable trait of hers. Not one.

I suddenly felt a hand being slipped into mine. "Time for the test," Gumi smiled. Ah, right. To see if I'm Master or not. I nodded anxiously, and she led me away. Down a hallway, up some stairs. Down a hallway. Through a door. Down yet _another_ hallway. And into a room. It was dim, with the only light being the little that leaked through the blinds. There was a desk in the corner, with a computer on it. And on the other side of the room, there was a stereo, and a microphone.

"If you are Master," Gumi said, "then you will be able to produce a song using that computer and my voice. You have a day." I shivered. Make a song? But what if it wasn't good enough? What if I messed up? But I could try. And hey, maybe that month of computer classes would pay off. Ha ha. I nodded, and headed over to the computer. It was sleek and shiny, with various audio programs installed. I loaded notepad.

The look of the blank page charged my mind. I typed. The words came to me, like a river steadily flowing into a lake. And then it was done. I looked at the words, carefully spelled on the program, and smiled. I then clicked open one of the audio programs. The music came to me eventually too. I hummed the tune under my breath. Yes, this would work. Finally, that was done too. All I needed was the vocals.

"Gumi?" I smiled kindly. "Time to sing." I lifted up a sheet of paper, and she nodded. She took the sheet, face determined. I pushed the record button on the computer, and she began to sing into the microphone. Her voice came out clear and smooth, with an airiness to it. And these guys were supposed to be robots? I shook my head in disbelief.

_Twinkle twinkle  
Went the music box  
As she spun around, as she spun around  
No purpose but to entertain  
No life no joy  
Just a ballerina on a music box_

Hair like silk  
Figure as perfect as any  
The perfect girl  
And an amazing dancer  
But is that her point?  
Only to please?  
Is that smile a mask  
To hide the emptiness?

She spins around  
On her music box  
Endlessly, without a point  
The watcher soon grows bored and leaves  
She is left alone, to rot away  
Is that her fate, to rot away?

Her pretty dress yellows with the sun  
Her hair has streaks of gray  
Her eyes bloodshot  
Her life without purpose  
A simple doll, nothing more  
Nothing inside that mind of hers  
Right?

Then the box closed, and the music stopped.

She yells and she screams  
As she pounds on the walls  
Trapped inside  
Alone and forgotten  
From the very beginning  
This was her fate

Twinkle twinkle  
Went the music box  
As she died inside, as she died inside  
No purpose but to rot away  
No life no joy  
Just a ballerina on a music box 

Soon she finished, and I hit the stop button. I then synched up the vocals and the music. It took about an hour and a half, but soon I was done. I played it once more, just to make sure everything was right. And it was. It sounded perfect. Smiling, I told Gumi I was finished.

"Eh? Already?" Gumi asked, surprised. "I'll get the others." She hurried off, leaving me alone in the room. Was my song really that good enough? Would it keep me alive? I doubted it. I didn't have much skill. I was a mere amateur. They'd probably 'uninstall' me. I really hope not though, I want to go home. If they uninstall me, I'll never see my home again. I'll just be stuck inside the trash bin forever, never seeing the light of day.

Soon, Gumi returned. Gakupo, Kaito, and Miku followed her. Uh oh. Miku hates me, Gakupo doesn't seem to like me, and Gumi is like Gakupo's parrot. The only one that's in my favor is Kaito. Which I'm kind of grateful for. Maybe he can turn the others around. Maybe I can get out of this thing without a scratch. As I thought this, I saw Kaito mouth, "They take Master impersonators very seriously here."

_Very seriously, apparently._

AN- God, what a sucky chap. ;.; Oh well. I tried. And the lyrics were written by me, by the way. The song's called 'Music Box'. Though I don't think Gumi's gonna sing it. n_n;;


	4. Chapter 4

AN- Sorry for the sucky chapter last time. This one will be better, I promise! ;.;

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 4

Gakupo was the first to walk into the dully lit room. With his violet locks hung behind his long, gown-like labcoat, he looked very feminine. Mari noticed this, and barely suppressed her giggles. The next to stride in was Miku. The teal haired girl had a seductive look in her eye. Probably trying to convince Gakupo to vote against her. And it was probably working. The simple fact crushed Mari's confidence. And then Kaito walked in, blue hair framing his head like the perfect picture. Ah, yes. He would help her. He could convince them. She tried, desperately, to tell herself this. Unfortunately, it wasn't working.

Gakupo cleared his throat, which jolted everyone in the room from their thoughts. "Prepare yourselves everyone," he said in a commanding tone. Prepare? Mari held her hand tentatively over the space bar. But she noticed something. All the Vocaloids' eyes looks glazed over, cloudy. "Go on," Gakupo mumured, voice slightly raspy. She pushed the button. The music started to flow from the stereo.

A soft twinkle, like that of a wind up toy. A soft piano. Gumi's smooth voice, blending with the music, yet distinct. Then a guitar rang out, and the drums started. The music kicked and sprung to life, and the vocals continued.

_Hair like silk  
Figure as perfect as any  
The perfect girl  
And an amazing dancer_

The Vocaloids were nodding their heads in time to the beat. Gumi was humming. Miku had a cross expression. Kaito looked like he would burst into song. Hm, Mari's luck may not be faltering after all. The only one who didn't seem to like it so far was Miku, and that was expected.

_But is that her point?  
Only to please?  
Is that smile a mask  
To hide the emptiness?_

_ Suddenly Miku grinned widely. And as soon as the guitars loudened for the musical interlude, she screeched loudly. Yelling all sorts of bad things. But the other Vocaloids didn't seem to hear her. They continued to nod and hum along. Miku practically radiated anger. Mari shivered._

_Soon, the guitars faded out, and a slightly off key piano was heard, along with the music box tune from earlier._

_Twinkle twinkle  
Went the music box  
As she died inside, as she died inside  
No purpose but to rot away  
No life no joy  
Just a ballerina on a music box _

Then the music stopped. Mari kind of wanted to play it again. It sounded good. She was proud of her work, but she wasn't sure if it was 'Master' quality. Still, she tried her best. And that counts for something, right? While the brown haired girl grew more anxious by the moment, the Vocaloids' eyes gradually cleared up. Kaito looked ecstatic. Gumi leaked happiness. Gakupo held a wry grin. Miku's eyes burned with rage.

The first to speak was Miku, of course. "Horrible. Absolutely terrible," she growled, struggling to find more synonyms for 'bad' in her tiny vocabulary. She finished it by sticking out her tongue immaturely. She then crossed her arms in a stubborn, defiant sort of way. She would not be easily swayed.

The second was Gakupo. He coughed. "I though you were new to this, Master." He winked at Mari, and she beamed. She was new to this. But she had made a few songs before. A couple years back. They hadn't been very popular, and she had given up. But obviously she had improved. And she was thankful for Gakupo's support.

Third was Gumi. "Master! That song is simply amazing! I've never heard something so pretty, yet meaningful." She was dangerously close to glomping me. Mari backed away slightly, but smiled in gratitude. Gumi was a nice girl at heart, though she could be a bit of a sheep. When it all came down it it, she had a good heart.

Last, but certainly not least, was Kaito. He took a deep breath. "I usually don't like this type of music," he began, and Mari held her breath. "But this is quite an exception. The vocals matched well with the music, and created a feeling of 'twisted innocence', if you know what I mean. To put it simply, it was wonderful Master." He smiled that amazing smile, with his eyes shut and his smile shining like the brightest star, and his blue hair ruffled boyishly. He looked like a child after coming home from an amusement park. The thought warmed her heart.

Len suddenly ran in, blue eyes shining. "Is she Master? What did I miss?" He sounded out of breath as he spoke, and kept his balance by leaning on the wall. Obviously, in his excitement, he had ran all the way here. A rather stupid choice, actually. Rin then appeared in the doorway, and flopped onto the floor, blond hair strewn about her head. Looks like she had ran too. 'Idiots,' Mari thought with a smirk.

Kaito opened his eyes to see the twins. He patted them on the head. "Yes, she is Master. And you missed what was probably the best song of all time." He stole a glance at Mari, whom he called Master, and put on a sunny air. She blushed. Why the heck was he so smiley toward her? Sure, he seemed the 'carefree yet oblivious' type, but he couldn't be like that _all _the time. And he sure as heck didn't smile like that toward Miku. She, for some reason, felt triumphant.

"How about some cake?" Gumi suggested kindly.

Ah, who cares about Kaito's feelings toward people? Let's eat cake!

AN: Kind of short this time. Sorry. n_n;; The next one will be longer, I promise! And some more KaitoxMari fluff. xD That'll proabably be the main pairing for this fic, along with small doses of RinLen and GakuLuka. And maybe some MeikoxAkaito. I haven't decided yet. Thanks for the reviews so far guys! I really appreciate them.


	5. Chapter 5

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 5

Who knew the sun could shine so bright? Maybe it's just her though. The others didn't seem to mind. She stabbed the gold cake with her fork, and shoved a piece into her mouth. Ah, the sweet flavor of the vanilla and the softness of the cake blended so well together. She found herself sighing in delight. But then, the brown haired teen came to her senses. Blinking her bright blue eyes, Mari said, "So, could you explain this for me? Y'know, otos and frqs and UTAUs and Vocaloids and stuff." She took another generous bite of cake.

A certain purple haired man grinned, "I knew you would ask about that." But, to Luka anyway, his statement had been very arrogant. So the salmon haired female kicked him sharply under the table. He winced, and she wore a smirk. "Ah, well I deserved it."

A blond haired boy, hair tied in a ponytail, decided to answer. He smiled. "UTAUs and Vocaloids are robots. We have different files inside of us. In the case of an UTAU, there's an oto, which holds all of their information, and a bunch of frqs, which are the sounds they make. Both are stored in their mouth. With Vocaloids, we have a few VVD files, a DDB file, and a DDI file. Again, they are stored in our mouth." Len nodded a little as he finished, confident that he had explained it well.

However, Rin decided to protest. "They aren't _all_ in our mouth," the blond girl frowned,"Some are in our throat." She looked fairly triumphant, while her brother looked rather irritated.

"Fine," Len said, exasperated. "Some are in our throat too. But most are in our mouth." Alright, Mari was starting to understand this. So they were robots, with special files they used to talk and sing. M'kay. She took another bite of cake. Mmm, so good. "Anyway," he continued, "Vocaloids are created by the company Crypton. When we are completed, we are sent here. This is the Database. It's a container for various files. We are trained to not only sing, but to protect the files from viruses and other malicious things." He flexed him arm, to show off his strength, but whimpered when Rin punched him lightly ("Ow Rin! Why do you always do that?").

Kaito took over. The blue haired man smiled and tugged on his scarf to loosen it. "For years, the Database has been peaceful. No fighting, no anything. And UTAUs were popping out by the dozens. See, they're user made. Normal people make them. But their voices are of low quality. Nevertheless, there were hundreds of them. Then Akaito decided that he didn't like us. He's a fanmade, see. Fanmades are altered versions of Vocaloids. They don't have their own voice banks. Actually, they have a Singer Editor file. Some of the settings are manipulated, and that's their voice. Some don't even have voices."

"Akaito went bad," Gakupo said, rubbing his hands together. He must like telling this story, for some reason. "He hated the Vocaloids for being company made, and the UTAUs for being low quality. He talked about how fanmades are easily available, user created, and high quality. After a while, he gathered up all the fanmades and left to start his own city. Fanmade Central. He took every one, young and old. We have received small attacks before, nothing too serious. However, we believe that he is building his army, preparing them for war. As are we." His expression was grave. Everyone else's, on closer inspection, was too. Even Luka lost her smirk.

Len sighed. "He took some of our own as well. Meiko went with him. Along with Prima. He managed to convince them, and they betrayed us. But, we have some of theirs as well. Haku, for example. And Akita Neru." He tried his best to look hopeful, but he still looked quite a bit distressed.

Mari looked down at her food, appetite diminishing. She then pushed it away, face screwed up in disgust. The blue eyed teen understood the city's situation, and was a great deal saddened. Kaito noticed this, and patted her on the head. She looked up at him. "Kaito, how can you act so happy, knowing all this has happened?" she asked, frowning.

He looked down at her, a weary smile upon his face. "Master, don't trouble yourself with our problems. Want some of my ice cream cake?" He offered it politely, gaze fixed on the ground. Why didn't he answer her question? She was Master! She demanded an answer! So why the heck did he change the topic?

"Nope. I want an answer. Why do you all have perfect little grins on your faces, when people have betrayed you and left you, and there's a war on the way?" She clenched her fists, and furrowed her brow. Stubborn, defiant. Two of her _finest_ traits. At least, according to her. She wanted to know why they were so _darn_ cheerful. And they just greeted her with that slow, tired shake of the head?

Luka was the first to speak. "Because that's all we can do. To prove we're still holding on. The strongest people have confidence, even in the bad times." The pink haired woman massaged her head, and groaned. What a _stupid_ excuse. She planned to voice this, but thought against it. They could just chuck her right out. 'Oh, she must not be Master' they would say, and off goes her head. She should be more careful.

Gumi suddenly stood up. She looked anxious, and her lime hair was slightly frizzy. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and offered to clean up the plates. She then gathered them, and hurried away from the food court, where they sat silently. The group was suddenly aware of all the people bustling around them. Eating, buying food, chatting away. Gumi returned, looking a great deal calmer. "How about we show you to your room, Master?" she said softly.

Mari looked at the green haired girl, and nodded. "Yes, that would be nice." She stood, yawning. It was getting late. She should go to bed soon. Gumi led her away from the food court, into a large hall lined with doors. Next to each door was a number, some fancy and curled while others were rough and blocky. They passed these doors, and ended up at a final door, with 277 engraved on it. "Is this it?" Mari asked quietly.

Gumi smiled. "Yes, for now." She opened the door. It seemed pleasant enough, despite being dim and rather dusty. Mari thanked the Vocaloid and entered. The kitchen was roomy, but the paint was peeling and the paintings were cracked and faded. The fridge was full of rotting food. There were bugs everywhere. She looked at the mini-house in disgust, and trudged over to the bedroom. She then flopped onto the moldy bed.

This would be a long night.


	6. Chapter 6

AN;; Blood and violence warning. ^^;; And sorry for the wait, guys. Been busy with break and all. The next update will be quicker. 'Kay?

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 6

The forest was dark, quiet. Beads of sweat ran down her face. The air was stiff and cold. She pushed away thorny branches, blood and dirt smeared on her limbs. The moonlight was obscured by all the trees, wispy against the sky. Too dark to see, too dangerous to stop. She didn't know what lurked in these woods. It could be anything. And if she paused to rest, it would surely get her. And she couldn't take that chance.

She felt sharp claws graze her arm, blood trickling down, hitting the leaves down below. Hot breath tickled her neck, teeth narrowly avoided her shoulder. She turned around, but nothing. Nothing was there. She she felt it, digging into her back. Skin stained with red. Pain, like a dagger, stabbed her again and again. She whimpered. An unseen enemy, attacking her from the shadows. Glowing eyes, teeth painted scarlet, she could picture it in her mind. But she couldn't see it. She was done for.

The warmth on her neck, the teeth sinking into her soft flesh. The pain, she barely felt it. The world was turning black. Her thoughts were garbled. Her mind off track. Her heart slowed, her legs gave out. She fell, sprawled on the ground, crimson pooling around her. She gave one last bitter smile, and her azure eyes drooped, and glazed over. Her killer wore a smirk, bloodshot eyes squinting in glee.

Ah, so this was the end.

-----

She awoke in a cold sweat. Her heart thumped loudly, her hands gripping the ragged blanket. So it was a dream. She, relieved, relaxed herself, and stood. It was still night. The room was dark, the walls worn and battered, like always. Then the floor creaked. Footsteps. A shiver flew down her spine.

Was someone here? She climbed back into bed silently, hoping she hadn't been heard, seen. Hoping that it was her imagination playing tricks on her. More footsteps, thump thump thump. She heard a boom and a clatter, like something had fallen. And someone cursing under their breath. But she couldn't decipher the voice; it could be anyone. So she squeezed her eyes shut. Hoping she wouldn't be found. Hoping she would live to see tomorrow.

Thunder crashed outside, rain pounded against the windows. There was no light. She couldn't see a thing in the darkness. The intruder could be right under her nose and she wouldn't know it. "Come on, come on, go back to sleep," she murmured repeatedly. Please, oh please. She was truly frightened. She wanted to fall asleep, and wake up to golden light streaming through the window. She wanted the person to leave, and never come back. She just wanted this all to _end_.

"Ah, I can see you there," a soft voice whispered. She imagined the grin on their hidden face, the malicious gleam of their eyes. She clenched the blanket tightly, knuckles turning white. Oh please, oh god, don't come over here. Please don't kill her, please go away. She tried oh so hard to be asleep, while her heart was beating fast and adrenaline was rushing through her. The terror of ignorance, the terror of not knowing what's within the darkness.

The light flicked on. The dim bulb dully illuminated the shabby room. There she was, curled up in fear like a mouse on her bed, and there was the intruder, standing with a curious expression in the doorway. His blue hair was casually tousled, and his blue eyes glinted boyishly behind his gradually drooping eyelids. He yawned. Was the heck was Kaito doing here, while she was asleep? Was he _stalking _her? The thought was evident on her face, as she shot him a 'why the heck are you in my room' look. He laughed nervously. "How was your sleep, Master?" he asked her, changing the topic.

She groaned. "Awful, I dreamed I was being mauled by an invisible person." She threw her pillow at him, hitting him square in the face. Then a smile appeared on her lips. Payback time. She rose, chocolate hair strewn about her head. Baggy pajamas loosely clinging to her. Eyes searching, prying. "Why did you come in while I was sleeping?" she asked, smile ear to ear. Guilt trip. Her favorite punishment.

But it didn't seem to affect him. "Master!" he said happily. He flew toward her, arms outstretched, and wrapped them around her. "Mm, I knew you were Master." He buried his face into her hair, making her cheeks burn red. She cautiously returned the hug. Er, this was uncomfortable. There's this cute guy calling her 'Master', and hugging her, for apparently no reason. But he was apparently very comfortable with the idea of hugging her. He drew away after a moment, leaving a confused and very embarrassed Mari sitting on the bed.

"K-Kaito," she began, blushing. "What are you talking about?" Suddenly, she noticed how utterly adorable, and well, hot, he was. His perfectly sculpted face, his finely shaped indigo hair, his sparkling sapphire eyes. Her cheeks were painted bright red, and was that blood leaking out of her nose? Ugh.

He clasped her hand in his suddenly. Why was he being so forward? "Come with me, there's something I have to show you." There was a spark of determination in his eye, and Mari found her mouth forming into a 'o'. Ha ha, the mysteries of Kaito. Number one was why was he so smiley. Number two? Why did he get confidence from the oddest things. It was like how many licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. The world may never know.

She voiced her 'okay', but by that time he was snoring on her lap. And it had been more of a sigh, rather than a showing of her approval. It had been only a few minutes, and already he had fallen asleep. She gently stroked the head on her lap, moving his hair this way and that. And then she realized what she was doing. The blush returned to her cheeks, and she gingerly moved him onto the floor. She grabbed a moth eaten throw from the closet, and placed it on him, so that he would stay warm. She then flicked off the light, and fell asleep herself.

-----

There was that forest again. Dark, ominous. Spindly trees reaching for what seemed like miles. But she was not the wanderer. He was, blue hair and all. Pushing away branches, just as she had. She followed him for a while, tailing him. But the unseen monster hadn't come yet. He was still trudging along, footsteps masked by the matted leaves.

She drew closer, closing in on him. He didn't seem to notice, to care. She ran her nails down his arm, smelling the familiar reek of blood. Sensing his fear, and feeling satisfied. Like the horrible monster she was. This, in fact, was incredibly satisfying. But she wanted _more_. She came closer still, tearing at his back. Mm, his soft flesh, vulnerable under her eager fingers. Her mouth was near to his neck, teeth awaiting a taste, the taste of his skin. She sunk them into his shoulder briefly, and moaned. Ah, so delicious.

He fell to the ground, sprawled out with scarlet pooling beneath him. His hand was enfolded over a small black box, and there was the ghost of a smile upon his lips. The blue eyes, cold as marble. The guilt washed over her like a waterfall. She was drenched in in. She bent down, caressing his face, stroking his blue hair.

So she was the monster after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 7

Her eyes fluttered open. At first things were blurred, unclear. And red tainted the edges of her vision. But soon things cleared. A large room, pale blue walls. Computers everywhere. She could hear them whirring, vibrating inside their cases. No sign of a person anywhere. She was in a metal chair, her hands clamped to the armrests. Her pupils darted back and forth, taking in all these strange things. Wondering what the heck was going on.

Mari tired to get out. She flailed against the wrist-cuffs, but to no avail. Her hands grew red, and her arms ached. She let out a sigh. She would murder whoever did this to her. But before that, she would find out why they had kidnapped her. She had changed her mind. She'd rather be awake the night before with Kaito prowling around, than there, held prisoner in a metal chair. She looked down at herself, disgusted. She was adorned in a short, teal dress that ended just above her knees. She bet she knew who did this.

"Oh, you're up Master?" chirped a familiar voice. She turned. In the corner, by a door, was a smiling girl with light green hair. Gumi? What was she doing here? Gumi was too nice to kidnap people. Then again, you gotta be wary of the nice and gentle ones. Do one thing wrong, and they're after you with a dagger and a mad grin. And they stab away at you, draining every bit of happiness and trust out. And yet, they grow more gleeful by the second. Mari shook her head to calm herself. Why was she worrying about the minds of psychotics?

"Yeah, I'm up. Where exactly am I?" she frowned, blinking. She surveyed her surroundings and they still did not look one bit familiar. The strange, glowing monitors, the humming towers, the bare blue walls. All foreign to her naive senses. She breathed in, and smelled, to her surprise, a strong scent of carrots and eggplants. Was Gumi making a salad?

"The control room," Gumi said vaguely. "Gakupo will be coming soon. He'll explain things." The lime haired girl then spun around on her heel and departed. Leaving behind a thoroughly confused Mari. She wet her lips, and waited patiently. There wasn't much else she could do, anyway. She would murder Gakupo. The thought made her smirk. What, was she turning into Luka? The thought made her giggle.

Soon another person entered the room. He had long, violet hair tied in a ponytail, and he wore the same white labcoat she had seen him wearing yesterday. His feminine face was twisted into a grin as he made his way over. Horrible thoughts came to her mind. What was he going to do to the poor girl? She shivered, and he stopped about three feet from her. "Ah, Mari. I see Miku wanted to please." Knew it. He gingerly pressed a button on the side of the chair, and the wrist cuffs opened. "So, why do you think we brought you here, Master?"

She muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'rape'. Gakupo laughed nasally, still holding that arrogant grin. "Sorry, no. Good guess, but only Kaito would think of something like that, after the Cantarella..." he trailed off, guffawing. Mari's head shot up, and she looked at him intently. He wiped the tears out of his eyes, seeing her attention. "The Cantarella? Once he loved a girl, but she didn't love him, so he poisoned her. She was knocked out for a few hours, and he planned to rape her. But he regretted it, and ah. I'm getting off topic, aren't I?"

"Yeah," she said, blinking. Kaito poisoning someone and planning to rape them? Not even her her wildest dreams could she imagine that. It was probably just a story. Kaito would never poison, and rape? Seriously? He was the cheerful, oblivious ice cream dork. Yes, oblivious and dorky, but lovable. She smiled softly, remembering his eagerness toward her the night before. And then she remembered him prowling around her room. Had he been planning the same for her? The thought brought a blush to her cheeks. She hid it with a clever hand position, and fortunately Gakupo didn't spot it.

"Anyway, we brought you here, because we needed to show you something. But apparently Kaito fell asleep while trying to bring you here." When Mari nodded shyly, he continued. "So we had Miku bring you here while you were asleep. The thing we want to show you, is here." He gestured toward a large metal box that radiated green light from its glass lid. The brown eyed girl stood, and walked over. Beneath the clear cover was a crowd of ones and zeros, all engraved into the glowing green plastic. She recognized it as binary code, but could not read it. But obviously, Gakupo could.

"Yes, that is binary code. It is a message from our creator, the maker of the original Database, which was inside one computer. He later found it could not be held on one computer, and expanded it to many computers. He has not communicated to us since then, and instead left us this." He handed her a sheet of printer paper, with words printed on it. She could understand this.

_'Vocaloids, you must find Master. One day, you will split in two, and one side with oppose the other. And Master is the only one who can restore peace. Good luck with your songs, and be careful._

_ -?'_

"I couldn't read that last bit, but I translated the gist of it. We regard this as a sort of prophecy, except much clearer. Master, you must defeat the Fanmades." Gakupo's tone was firm and final, as if no amount of persuasion could sway him. He held this stubborn expression while Mari looked at him sadly.

"How could I defeat the Fanmades?" she said pessimistically. "There are so many, and they sound very powerful. Just 'cause I can make a song doesn't mean I can get rid of a powerful evil guy and his cronies. Seriously, this isn't an MMO, and I'm not an elven mage." She held a 'seriously, WTF?' face as she said this, and a sarcastic tone. What did he think she would do, pull out a glowing staff and zap Akai-whatever with it? She shook her head in mock despair. "Sadly," she added.

"I don't know," the purple-haired man said, drawing an eggplant out from one of his coat pockets. "But you'd better come up with something soon. Or else, we'll all perish." He took a generous bite of said eggplant, and his smile returned. He walked away cheerfully, while Gumi returned. What a weird man.

"Sorry about that. Want to meet up with the others?" Gumi offered politely, holding out her hand. She had green nailpolish. Hmm. Did all Vocaloids have nail polish the color of their hair? She'd laugh if the boys had it too.

"Yeah, that'd be good." the blue eyed Master said, accepting the Vocaloid's invitation. She followed Gumi out of the control room, and down a long hallway. Why was it that whenever she walked with Gumi, she always went down a hallway? Another one of the many mysteries that, like the Tootsie Pop, she'd never figure out. Oh well. Gave life a bit of a thrill, she supposed.

But, thankfully, there was only one hallway this time. One they had passed through it, and a large gray door, they stood just outside the food court, the transparent ceiling letting through bright sunlight. And there was a certain warmth about the air that hadn't been present in the control room. Something, although she couldn't pinpoint what exactly it was, made the room feel a lot more pleasant. Maybe it was the sunlight. The room had been very dank.

"Hey, Mari! Where'd you go? Me n' Rin were waiting for you," said a loud, boyish voice. Len, she noted. The blond boy walked over to greet her, eyes bright and smile wide. Could she really tell him and the others what had happened? Well, Kaito and Miku already knew. But Len, Rin, Luka. Could she explain to them about the so-called 'prophecy', which was really more of a message? Or should she just keep her mouth clamped shut?

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Gumi nodding.

Well, that makes things easier.

AN;; Ooh, prophecy. xD I'm not very original, am I? Thanks for the reviews so far guys, much appreciated. I'd especially like to thank Rina-Tan. She's reviewed every chapter, and been a nice person and great support. Thanks Rina!


	8. Chapter 8

AN;; Sorry for the late update! Real life's keepin' me busy. x] But, to make up for it, here's my longest chapter yet! Enjoy~

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 8

"Kaito?"

He lifted his head. Nn, what time was it? He cocked his head over to look at the clock. 4:00 AM? Who was up at four in the morning? Well, him obviously. But who else was crazy enough to be up this late at night? He shifted his gaze toward the doorway, where a small silhouette was visible. He strained his blue eyes to see the details. But, ah, it was too dark. He sighed. "Come in."

The light turned on with a click. The other one up at 4 AM was, apparently, Master. She stood, orange pajama pants too long for her, and silky chocolate hair ruffled gently. She smiled nervously, pawing the ground with her toe. "I had this awful dream, and I couldn't fall asleep after that. I was, um, wondering if you'd keep me company," she said softly, pulling on her long, beige shirt.

"Alright," Kaito replied, sitting up. Master cautiously sat on his bed next to him, shivering. He laid a fuzzy throw over her shoulders. She looked up at him curiously, but held the blanket close and wrapped it around her. He patted her on the head. "What was your dream, Master?" He held a kind expression.

Master suddenly looked fearful. She gripped the blanket tightly, knuckles turning white. Her lips trembled and her azure eyes widened. "I-It was dark. I was in a forest. Running from something. And, and it started to chase me. It grabbed me, tore me apart. I-I fell onto the ground, bleeding," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. She began to sob. "Then I was in the forest again. And y-some guy was wandering by. I chased him. I grabbed him. Tore _him_ apart. Watched him fall to the ground, bleeding. And, and I didn't mind. Part of me _liked_ it." Thick tears rolled down her cheeks, and she threw herself into Kaito's arms, sniffling.

He wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. Master was always so cheerful and pleasant. How could she have such dark dreams? It seemed impossible. It was like Gakupo suddenly falling madly in love with Len. It was simply unimaginable. Nevertheless, he rested his strong chin on top of her head. "Don't worry, Master. They're just dreams. They'll never be real." But the girl continued to weep. He sighed once more, though this time more out of pity for his upset Master.

He placed his hands on her shoulders, and pulled her away. He kept a firm grip on her. "Calm down. It's all over now. Everything's alright." When she ducked her head, he lifted her chin with his finger. Her smooth face was blotched with red and sticky with tears. Her usually bright eyes were dull and swollen from crying. Poor girl. She adorned a weak smile, and nodded. He let go of her shoulders. She yawned all of a sudden, and fell back onto his bed. Eyes shut peacefully and fingers loosely entwined together, she fell asleep.

Kaito smiled, and flicked off the light. "Good night, Master."

---------

Her eyes fluttered open. The first thing she saw was the white ceiling, and the royal blue walls. Then the periwinkle sheets and pillows. Wait, why was everything blue? Where was she? And then it hit her. Kaito's room. She had gone to see him last night because of a bad dream. And she had evidently fallen asleep. Stretching, the brown haired girl rose. On the other side of the room was Kaito, an unreadable expression on his face. He turned away.

"G'morning," Mari yawned, waving vaguely. He didn't respond. His back was turned to her. He was heading out the door, but why? He wouldn't even say good morning? Why was he acting so darn _cold_? She frowned, though she knew he wouldn't see. "Kaito?" she inquired, hoping he would snap out of whatever daze he was in. This wasn't like him. Usually, he would run toward her with a wide smile and greet her eagerly. But today, he wouldn't bat an eye at her.

"You must leave," was all he said. He trembled slightly, as if fighting off tears or a further statement. And then he walked briskly out the door, leaving a hurt and puzzled Mari behind. Her round, blue eyes stared widely as he strode out, not even bothering to glance at her. He barely seemed to know who she was. And leave? Why would she have to leave? She was Master, wasn't she?

Standing up, she brushed the dust and some of the wrinkles out of her nightgown, and dashed out the door and down the hall, toward her room. Apparently, that first night had been sort of a test, and afterward Gumi had directed her to her real room. It was large, with high quality furniture, a well stocked fridge, a TV, computer, and an extremely comfortable bed. She spun on her heel and stepped into the bathroom. It, too, was roomy.

She took a brief shower, feeling the warm water slide down her skin. It calmed her, and at the same time woke her up. She sang softly, the melody flowing from her mouth. As smooth as water, but as rough as it as well. Soon, she turned off the water and and climbed out of the shower, wrapping the light orange towel about her. She dressed herself in the usual clothes, with the addition of a light sweatshirt. She walked into the kitchen, planning to grab a piece of pizza or something similar.

Seated at the small table was, however, a few unexpected guests. The first was a salmon haired female, crossing her arms and pouting frustratedly. Beside her was a certain violet haired male, who looked like he had gotten at least a few bruises from the pinkette. He still held an arrogant, albeit weary, grin, however. And the last visitor was another rose haired girl. This one looked younger, and her hair was much more reddish. And upon further inspection, Mari found that her joints were that of a doll's.

The first pinkette regained a sunny smile, and said, "We're sorry to intrude, especially on such short notice. But this is very important. Right, Miki?" She shot a triumphant smirk at the male, who merely shrugged, and was otherwise unfazed. She then tossed her hair over her shoulder, eyes shut. She looked ticked.

The second girl smiled widely, happy for a chance to speak. "Yep, _very_ important. It's about the Fanmades, see. We heard they're going to attack next month. So, you have to stop 'em somehow." Her voice was remarkably like Rin's, yet softer and slightly lower. Hmm. Interesting. Wait, she had to defeat the Fanmades, specifically Akaito, within the next _month_? Oh, god. What the heck were they thinking?

The male sighed, and brushed dust off his labcoat. He wore a weary expression. "Master, our forces aren't completely developed yet. You have to at least stall them. And we've come up with a bit of a plan. Luka?" He gestured toward the older woman, but she scowled at him, making it quite plain that she wasn't going to respond. Annoyed, he turned to the younger female. She nodded.

"They don't know about you, Master," Miki said in her soft voice. "So, you must go to Fanmade Central and ask to see whoever's in charge. Act oblivious and ignorant. They'll scan you, and send you to him. There, you have to fool Akaito into letting you see the global Singer Editor file. Delete Akaito, Taito, and Miku Zatsune. And, if you see her, please try to reason with Meiko. We miss her!" She folded her doll-like hands on her lap, and looked fairly troubled.

Well, at least she had a plan. Not perfect, of course. It had a good few holes in it. But hey, it was something. So, nodding reluctantly, she prepared the three Vocaloids sandwiches. They thanked her. The four ate lunch in silence, chewing slowly and rhythmically. Mari worried about her trip to Fanmade Central, while the three androids worried about what they were going to sing next. Eventually, Rin and Len turned up, and the others left. They grinned broadly.

"'Lo Master!" Rin said energetically, running into the 'house'. Her short blonde hair, which was flying about a moment ago, now hung limply by her head. Her white bow was plopped carelessly on top, perfecting her 'innocent' school girl look. Sure, her personality was far from it. But that's basically what a stranger walking on the street would think 'Ooh, what an adorable, innocent school girl!' Len, on the other hand, while exhausted, was the perfect image of a shota. Fighting off giggles, Mari greeted them.

She explained her situation, and boy, were they a great audience. They gasped at all the right times, and punctuated the story with little expressions and statements. But, to their dismay, they couldn't help. Mari knew only she could do this. Otherwise, the Fanmades would know she was on their side and she would be captured or persuaded to join Aka-whatever. Either way, their mission would fail. And, with all the trust and hope the Vocaloids were putting on her, she couldn't let that happen. Even though she had no idea how she could ever accomplish this, she had to.

Hey, maybe she'd get more cake.


	9. Chapter 9

AN;; GAH, this is so late. D: My computer was taken away for a week. I am extremely sorry to all my readers and reviewers. You've all been nice and patient and I really appreciate it.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 9

She stood on the path, soft hair flowing out behind her. Blue eyes shining, cloak wrapped hastily around her, clinging with slender fingers. Her shoulders trembled with the cold, and she let out a feeble cough. She then wiped her nose with her index finger, and sighed. She had to put up this act. It was part of the plan. They had to have a little pity, right? But, as the moments passed, she felt herself growing colder and more uncomfortable. Her nose felt a little runny, and her throat was kind of itchy. Oh god, was she getting sick? Great, just what she needed.

She gazed at the looming tan gates ahead. A long, spindly arch with translucent red panels on the sides. But it was closed, since it was still early. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon. The sky was becoming ripe with dawn, and rich light like blood spilled over the clouds and the land. The girl stared at the beautiful scene wearily, and coughed into her hand again. As she did so, she heard muffled footsteps, and a soft chuckle.

Turning, she spotted a man, standing casually in front of the gates. He wore a black sweatshirt and held a cup of coffee, wispy steam streaming out of the lid. He tossed his head, ruffling his short violet hair, and his matching eyes were directed at her. Then, frowning, he raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing out this early?" he said with no enthusiasm, no emotion. His voice was quite high. Kind of creepy, really.

The girl held her ground and blinked her round azure eyes. She clasped the shabby cloak tighter. "I wish to see whoever's in charge, if I may," she stated politely, getting right to the point. There was no point in beating around the bush. She just needed to see Akaito and get this whole thing over with.

The man just stared at her, as if contemplating his actions. He sipped the coffee, sighed, and lowered it. He looked at her dully. "Why should I let an urchin like you bother The Red One?" The Red One? Who the heck was that? Maybe he was an assistant of Akaito's or something. She held a puzzled face, hoping it was convincing. If he saw through her mask, this would all be over. The war would start, and she didn't want to think of the rest. The Fanmades were stronger than the Vocaloids and UTAUs. They had greater numbers and were much more powerful. She shuddered silently as she thought of the Vocaloids' and UTAUs' fate. Seeing her confusion, he rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't tell me you haven't heard of The Red One. Your files must be lagging. Should I take you to Nurse Mouya?"

The female shook her head after a moment, dismissing his offer. "I want to see whoever is in charge." She was stubborn. She wasn't about to let this guy steer her in the wrong direction. And she didn't have all day. She needed to hurry up and get to Akaito, or─

"Oooh, a little strong-willed, are we? The Red One does like his girls feisty. Come, I'll take you to him." He held what was supposed to be a smug expression, but his dull eyes and blank face proved that it was a mere mask. She wondered if he was capable of showing emotion at all. She had a feeling that this 'Red One' was pretty high up. Maybe he would be more patient and lead her to Akaito. So, nodding, she followed him inside. The gates swung open dramatically, sending gusts if wind flying into the girl's face. She frowned, and continued on.

Fanmade Central was not inside a building like VocaUTAU Central. It was outside, under the sky, and looked almost like a kingdom. Lots of shabby houses, a few rows of more wealthy ones, and a huge castle towering over it all. Its windows were stained glass, and caused littles rainbows to flit about the dusty ground. A rat scampered under one, and she barely suppressed a squeak. As they walked, she noticed two sick Fanmades, one dying, three starving, and several homeless. Eugh, when would she get out of here? This was both pitiful and disgusting.

They soon reached the castle doors, and the man opened them casually, as if it was something he did every day. They stepped into a great hall, lined with intricate portraits and stone statues. She stared in silent awe at her surroundings, wondering how much this castle was worth. It must have been well into the millions, or even billions. Her pace slowed as she stopped to stare at a faded painting hung near the fireplace. It pictured two men, both smiling. The one on the left had well combed crimson hair. His eyes were also red, narrowed in a suspicious way. But his mature smile contradicted his eyes, and his hands were entwined on the desk before them. The second man seemed slightly younger. His face was rounder than that of his companion, and his blue eyes were bright with innocence and naivety. His indigo hair was messily thrown about his face, and his hands sat separately, gripping the table eagerly. Even then, the girl thought with a smile, Kaito was cheery and youthful.

"Hey, hurry up. The Red One hates to be left waiting," came the violet man's monotonous tone.

She blinked, and hurried after him, boots tapping sharply on the marble floor. So wait, who was that guy Kaito had stood next to? Was he this 'Red One'? Perplexed, she followed the gate person up two staircases and through a fairly complex hallway. Soon they reached a large, wooden door with a brass knob. He clasped his hand around it, but did not attempt to turn it. Instead, he leaned forward and whispered, "A delightful fish awaits your hook." And with that, something yanked the door open, revealing a large, spacious room.

Sitting in a velvet chair was the scarlet man she had seen in the painting. Two woman stood beside him, stroking his hair and sighing dreamily. His slender fingers clutched his knees, but he raised one to make a brief gesture toward the two newcomers. The gate guy strode over to him, and murmured something. His grin grew wider, and he motioned the plum haired male away. His two female 'friends' drew away, giggling softly behind delicate hands. He stepped over to the blue eyed girl. She stared up at him curiously, sniffling.

"Hello, my dear. Would you mind if I scanned you?" His voice was charming and mature, and he looked down at her as a prince would a potential bride. But she simply raised an eyebrow. He laughed heartily.

"Scanned me? I'm not really sure what that means, but why not?" She did, of course, know what scanning meant, and was revolted by the idea of his lips hitting hers, but she had to hold this facade. Not matter how awful it got. He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, and leaned forward. As soon as she felt the impact, she felt the urge to gag. But, ah, that would be rude. Even if she hated this guy. Being at least partially polite always benefited her in the end. Why it be any different here? He broke away after a moment, looking quite puzzled. Here it comes.

"You have no files. I-I checked. None of those petty Vocaloid DDBs or pathetic otos. Nor one of our carefully adjusted Singer Editor programs. And yet you still speak..." he trailed off, pacing back and forth. His brow was furrowed in thought, and he seemed to ponder for a long time. Although Mari didn't own a watch, so she couldn't be certain how long it exactly was. Finally he paused, as if a lightbulb had just lit inside his mind. A frown spread across his face like butter, and his He narrowed his ruby eyes, looking more and more cautious. "Are you the Master I summoned?"

Mari gawked. "Master?"


	10. Chapter 10

AN;; Wow, quick chapter. xD Last one was late, this one is early. I need a schedule.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 10

Wow. Deja vu.

Mari stood there, gaping. Blue eyes wide, hands clinging to her cloak. This was just like when she first came to VocaUTAU Central. Clever and arrogant Gakupo had suggested it, flashing that smile of his. Oh, Luka had looked _ticked_. But hey, he had been right. This red guy apparently was too. But, ah, she wasn't supposed to know that, was she? Being ignorant was really tedious. So, cocking her head to the side, she blinked at the 'Red One'. "Master? What's that supposed to mean?"

He laughed. It was not warm and boyish, like Kaito's, it was low and sharp, like the bark of a dog. His fangirls sighed in dreamy pleasure. They fluttered their eyes in a disgustingly flirty way, and Mari rolled her eyes. Stupid sluts. Especially the one on the right. She reminded Mari of Miku, except with larger cleavage, black hair, and a much more revealing outfit. But really, they could be twins. The one on the left didn't resemble anyone Mari knew. She had long, black hair, a lolita styled dress, and held a rose in her right hand. She actually didn't look _that_ slutty. Not as much as the Miku clone, anyway. But still. She wasn't exactly modest.

Another woman entered the room. She had short, brown hair, and a red top and bottom. She had an equally large chest, but she didn't flaunt it as much as the other two. She walked over to the red guy and kissed him on the cheek. She then muttered something to him in her low, mature voice. He smiled at her, face suddenly warm, and handed her a cloudy bottle of some strange liquid. She beamed at him, and took a large, clumsy gulp of the drink. She then skipped out of the room, humming an airy tune under her breath. She and the second slut didn't look like the other Fanmades Mari had seen. They looked brighter and livelier. Were they the traitorous Vocaloids Len had once mentioned? Meiko, and Prim something, weren't they? Prima? Meiko and Prima? Yes, they could be. They didn't look much like the Fanmades.

"Master. You know, the one who writes our songs. They are supposedly very powerful. More powerful than any Vocaloid, UTAU, or Fanmade. They are in several legends and songs, and are referenced in Creator's last message. I have tried to summon them multiple times, so that I may harness their power. Are you Master, my dear?" Their was a hungry glint in his eye, and Mari shivered, and tried to back away. They had rehearsed this, they had rehearsed this. 'Hm? How could I, of all people, be Master?' And then she would laugh, and he would try to prove who she was, and she'd peek in the global Singer Ediotr file. And eventually she'd delete him. That was their plan. It had to work, it had to. 'C'mon Mari,' she thought angrily. 'Get a _grip_!'

"No! I-I'm not!" she shouted, fists clenched. Oh crap. So much for that. She was pretty much done for. And so were the Vocaloids. Oooooh crap. Stupid red guy and his scary eyes. If it weren't for them, she'd be deleting him at that very moment. Stupid, stupid red guy. "I mean, I mean─"

He looked at her dully, and scowled. "I knew it. How could an urchin like you be of any importance?" He folded his arms, and sat back down in his velvet chair. His female companions moved toward him, and began to stroke and kiss him again. He glowered at Mari, as if he despised her simply because she had disappointed him. In fact, she didn't doubt it. Underneath that 'charming' mask, he really wasn't that nice. She could easily imagine him spitting on puppies and pushing shopping carts into old ladies. It was likely he already did that.

"Wait! What if I am─" she started, breathing fast. No no no, it couldn't end like this. Unless she did something, she would be in huge trouble. And when an image of a guillotine popped in her mind, she couldn't completely reject it. Anything was possible with scary, powerful guys like this. She could easily imagine her head being chopped off, like a pecil snapping in half. She began to cry. "What if I'm M─"

As she spoke, he cut her off. "Taito, take this _fine_ young lady to the prison." He pointed to the grape haired man, who smirked coldly. He grabbed Mari by her wrists, squeezing them until they were sore and red. More tears spilled down her face. She choked, and stared at the crimson man, who looked so boredly at her. Azure eyes swollen and puffy, as if to ask 'why?'. His uncaring expression was like cement, unchanging, but before she could say another word, she was dragged hastily out by 'Taito', who looked guiltily excited.

He hauled her down several sets of stairs, the last being of rather dirty stone. By the time they reached the prison, Mari had quite a few nasty cuts and bruises along her arms and legs. Taito cackled, and led her along the cells, occasionally stopping to point and laugh at a particularly weak or feeble prisoner. In the second to last cell was a small figure, hidden by the shadows. She could make out the outline of a long dress, but not much else. He did not stop to sneer at this one. Once they had reached the last, empty cell, he threw her in, and grinned conceitedly.

Her head hit the gray wall with a thump. Ow, that hurt. She grew dizzy, and felt blood running down. The dull ache worsened, creating a sort of throbbing feeling. She shuddered and clumsily wiped the tears from her eyes. Her vision blurred, darkened. Red swam at the edges. In the corner of her eye, she spotted a figure entering her cell. Who could that be? Messy blue hair and round, childish eyes were the only features she could note before she slipped into unconsciousness. Smiling faintly, she soon drowned in blackness.

---

_ "Master!" came an all too familiar deep voice. Kaito was running, running toward her. Eyes shining with happiness. Soon she was enfolded in his strong arms. Mm, so warm. So soft. She looked up, expecting to see Kaito's loving face, smiling down at her. But the red man stood there instead, scowling coldly. She broke away, and he began to chase her, that hungry gleam in his eyes once again. She ran away, boots pounding against the springy grass. Crushing the unfortunate flowers under her feet. Where had Kaito gone? _

_ The bright, cheerful surroundings soon melted away. She was running through a dark field, bats flying overhead and blindingly white snow blanketing the ground. Fog masked the world, clouding it in gray. She couldn't see where she was. She fell backwards onto the snow, cringing at the bitter cold, and saw the 'Red One', looming over her, nails long and sharp like claws. She screamed out for Kaito to come and save her, but with each yell the snow was tainted a deeper crimson. Soon she was once again blinded by darkness. _

_ "Kaito!" she yelled out one last time, as she slipped back into dreamlessness. "Please..."_

---

Mari's blue eyes fluttered open. Around her head was a thick gauze bandage, and her brown hair was messily strung about her head. Her cloak was draped over her like a blanket. She was still inside the dark prison cell. It was night now, and dark shadows were cast this way and that. Sitting next to her was a young girl, only about nine or ten. She had ruffled blue hair and bright eyes. Wrapped around her was a silky white dress that seemed much too long for her. She held a cup of steaming tea in her hands, and her lips were curved into an innocent smile.

"Why, _hello_. You're a friend of Kaito's, I presume?"


	11. Chapter 11

AN;; I lost internet for a while, so sorry for the super late update. D: Mmm, new characters introduced. A bit moar KaitoxMari fluffers. Enjoy!

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 11

_"Why, hello. You're a friend of Kaito's, I presume?" _

Mari blinked at the words, fairly surprised. She had assumed the Fanmades didn't know much about the Vocaloids. And plus, Kaito wasn't even that high in rank. But, who knows? They could have done their homework. She twirled her silky brown hair casually, pausing to stare at the young girl with round, azure eyes.

She was short, with a rather scrawny build. Her slender fingers grasped an olive cup, steam wisping out of the top. An elegant white dress flowed about her, contrasting greatly with her jewel blue eyes and short, tousled blue hair. She held a small, wry grin, almost like she meant to sneer at her companion.

Mari raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Yes. And how'd you know? Stalking me or something?" she muttered edgily. She did not appreciate being jeered at. Even less so by grubby nine year olds. She frowned, and fingered a pebble on the ground. It was cool and rough, and created whiteish lines when she scraped it on the prison floor. She soon had drawn a rather childish portrait of Kaito. Blushing, she giggled.

"I have my ways," the girl answered vaguely, grin widening. "So, is he doing well? Every perfectly pleasant?" There was a bitter tinge to her voice, as if she herself wished to be gulping down ice cream cake and laughing with friends. But the tint was soon cloaked by amusement, as she said, "Found a girlfriend yet?"

Mari stared at her incredulously, soon bursting into laughter. "Ffff, no, not yet. Although Miku's getting pretty darn close," she managed to say, amidst her chortling.

Kaiko's eyes sparked a little. "Miku, you say? Has she kissed him? Gone out with him? Anything further?" Her simple, inquiring words sent a spark of rage into Mari's head. Stupid Miku, guy stealer. That brat. That little slut. Mari was overwhelmed by anger for a moment, practically seething with rage, but soon snapped out of it, dazed.

"Um, no. Th-They flirt though. Or rather, she flirts with _him_," Mari muttered, uncomfortable. Why had such a rage entered her, when the girl had mentioned Miku and Kaito dating? Kissing? Being_ together_? Why did the very thought make Mari want to scream? She sat up lazily, rubbing sleep off of her face. Her eyes were still dull and her skin pale from exhaustion, but at least she was awake. She yawned.

The girl cocked her head to the side for a moment, then straightened it, smiling. "Kaito _was_ never good with relationships. The only thing he ever seemed to care about was his ice cream. He's a good guy, though." Something in her tone was missing, though. A bitterness clung to it, like a disoriented child to a stranger. And she was hiding something. But poor old gullible Mari didn't notice. She just chuckled along. "But why are you blushing?"

Mari froze, heart pounding fast. Her cheeks were hot from embarrassment. She gulped. "I-I guess it's 'cause it's like a fanfiction. Y-Y'know?" She clasped her hands together, gripping until they too were red. "W-What with Kaito oblivious n' all..." she fumbled.

The girl's grin grew wider still. She looked rather like the Cheshire Cat. "I suppose. What's _your_ relationship with Kaito? _Done_ anything with him? Slept in his bed?" she teased. "Hmmm?"

Mari's face was blood red. Her eyes were wide. Oooooh shoot. She really got herself into a mess. And really, who was this strange girl? And how did she know Kaito? "Well," she began awkwardly. "I, um, kind of did once. B-But that doesn't mean... And anyway, um, who are you?"

The girl's grin vanished at once, replaced by a timid smile. She played absentmindedly with the hem of her white gown. "Hm, oh dear, I haven't told you my name?" she murmured playfully. "It's Kaik o, silly. Kaiko Shion." A sliver of moonlight leaked in, causing her alabaster skin to glow silver, and her eyes to twinkle like freshly polished sapphires.

Time itself seemed to stop. Shion? No, no it couldn't be. Couldn't possibly be. Kaito had mentioned once that Shion was _his_ surname. It had to be some prank. Some practical joke. There was no possible way that they could be related. Then again, they did look alike. What with the blue eyes and hair. Although she couldn't recall Kaito's skin being that fair.

Mari shifted, fingering the ratty cloak underneath her. Unsurely, she questioned, "Er, are you related to Kaito?"

Kaiko looked back, mildly surprised. "Yes, I am. I thought it would be obvious. I'm also related to Taito, Akaito, and Akaiko. Sadly." Her voice was soft and weary. Spotting Mari's perplexed face, she added, "The purple guy, the red guy, and the young red girl."

Mari nodded. So the red guy was Akaito. That made sense. But who was this Akaiko she was talking about? Was it the red woman Akaito had given the drink to? Or was it someone else entirely? "Um, does Akaiko drink?"

Kaiko stared at her for a moment, as if unsure whether she was joking or not. Soon she began to chuckle. "Akaiko? Drinking? She's only twelve, but I wouldn't be surprised," she replied. Oh. Whoopsie. So it couldn't have been Akaiko. The woman Mari had seen looked much older than twelve.

"And anyway," Kaiko sighed, changing the subject, "your tea is getting cold." She was correct, of course. The stream had ceased to pour out of the round lid. It sat, motionless, in her soft palm. But suddenly, as if realizing this, it lifted into the air. Mari gasped loudly and blinked, baffled. The cup was _floating_? But that was impossible! Then again, these were robots she was dealing with. They could shoot lasers out of their eyes for all she knew.

The olive cup had indeed began to float. It hovered lazily toward Mari, finally settling comfortably in her own palm. She stared at it for a moment, uncertain if she should drink it or run away. She decided upon the former, and sipped it politely. Noticing that it sadly was cold. It tasted bitter in her mouth, but she was grateful for the drink. She had begun to feel dehydrated. She took another generous swallow, and wiped her lips hastily.

Kaiko shifted, eyes empty and directed at the floor. She had a spectral air about her, and silver seemed to outline the edges of her body. She looked weak and helpless, but no tears spilled out. No desperate wailing. Just the biting silence. It sent shivers up Mari's spine. "They called me a monster," she spoke softly, gazing out the window longingly.

More silence. Mari drank her tea until the cup was empty, and placed it beside her. Despite this, her mouth felt dry still, and her stomach churned with anxiety. Like someone was waving a wooden spoon around, trying to turn her insides to butter. It was rather uneasy, sitting there like that. But soon Kaiko looked up, expression still dull and monotonous.

"Let's get you out of here, shall we? I can tell you miss your _dear_ Kaito." A smirk replaced her feeble frown, and Mari laughed, glad to escape the awkward quiet. Kaiko looked tense, and held a concentrated grimace. The bars on the window soon snapped in sixteen, jolting Mari out of her thoughts. She felt herself hovering, the air cool underneath her. She squealing in surprise, and was forced out the now open window. She fell on smooth, springy grass, clinging to her battered cloak. The city wall loomed beside her, no longer intimidating.

She knew the way back, of course. Although she doubted the Vocaloids would be very impressed with her performance.


	12. Chapter 12

AN;; Poor Mari! I keep abusing her. xD Enjoy this next chapter, guys.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 12

Run. That was all she could think, all she could feel. The rain pounding in a powerful crescendo, the clouds ominous above. The booming voice of thunder was not far behind. Her clothes were plastered to her body, hair stringy and dripping. Breath hard and fast, ragged from exhaustion. But she couldn't stop now. The storm would only get worse. She had to keep going while it was still fairly mild. Otherwise, she'd be toast. Literally.

A brisk wind tore by, nearly knocking her over. But nothing could stop her, absolutely nothing. She was still in Fanmade territory. If one of Akaito's cronies found her, she'd be shot on sight. Escaping prison was, apparently, a crime punishable by death. A rule she didn't quite agree with, especially in this situation.

The storm, of course, did not show any sign of letting up. Actually, it seemed to get worse by the minute. She couldn't hold on much longer. She was soaked to the bone, freezing, and dizzy from all the thick mist. She could barely see two feet in front of her. She could be heading back to Fanmade Central for all she knew. But any place that was warm and dry was good in her book, so she just kept on running.

She gasped in pain suddenly. The pain, though abrupt, was sharp and unmistakable. Scarlet blood spilled down her arm, staining the sleeve of her top. Spattering the grass in great droplets. She seized her shoulder, tears rolling down her cheeks. She had evidently been found. Thankfully, the bullet had missed, piercing her shoulder rather than her head or heart. But that wasn't much to be grateful for. Combined with her other ailments, she supposed she had mere moments left to live.

Sobbing, she sloppily wiped her nose, and collapsed onto the ground. In place of the unforgiving grass she had been trekking through, however, was a rough, dirt path. It was uneven and worn with use, and muddy with rain. It seeped onto her, tainting her appearance. Tainting _her_. And her own, polluted blood mingled with the muck, nearly choking her. But soon her vision blurred. Sweet dreams, Mari. Sweet_ blissful _dreams. Maybe you'll even be lucky enough to die in your sleep.

----------------

The next morning surprised her. She had expected death. What with the massive blood loss, the rain, the lightning, the failed murder. But her eyes fluttered open that morning, and, aside from being considerably dizzy, she felt fine. And another thing startled her. Hovering above her face were two eager blue eyes and a clump of spiky blue hair that drooped on either side of her head. His nose was a mere centimeter away from her's, his mouth a few inches. And, _shockingly_ enough, it was twisted into a bright grin.

"Master, you're─" he began, drawing away and throwing his arms out wide. She gasped, eyes wide. He froze. "Okay..." His smile vanished at once, and he cocked his head downward and spun around, as if afraid to look at her. "Your breakfast is ready," he mumbled, stumbling awkwardly out the door. What was that all about? He had been normal for a bit, and then he had drifted into that odd attitude again. Something was off.

"Kaito!" she called, frowning. No answer. She had suspected that. Typical. "Kaito, get your blue butt over here!" What _was_ wrong with that guy? She knew he was cute, and that he was always smiling at her and hugging her. But what was with this sudden distance? Was he repulsed by her failure? But then, why would he have been nice for a little while, before ignoring her again? It didn't make any sense.

A feeling hit her suddenly. Emptiness, loneliness. She wasn't sure where it came from. Her stomach flopped over, like an over-easy egg in a pan. Her insides seem to squirm and contract, and a strong pressure built up in her head. Her skin was the same silvery alabaster as Kaiko's. Her eyes were soon swollen with tears, and they slopped down her pale face. Why, why was he being like this? Why? Why was she feeling like this? She felt something in her throat. It felt somewhat solid, a strong tension forcing it's way through her mouth.

The door swung open all of a sudden. Gakupo's long, white labcoat rippled with the energy. "Swallow!" he commanded, feminine face stern. She obeyed, shoving the curious pressure back down her throat. The horrible feeling instantly left her. She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes, gasping for breath. She felt the color return to her cheeks, and her body returned to normal, her stomach flipping back where it should have been. "I see you were right, Kaito," Gakupo frowned gravely, brushing nonexistent dust off his coat.

Mari looked at him with wide, scared eyes. Next to Gakupo stood Kaito, who conveniently gazed away. "A-Am I insane...?" she inquired, shivering. She remembered Kaito's kind gesture, all those nights ago, when he had placed the soft throw upon her shoulders. It seemed so far away, like it happened years ago. And yet it had just been the other day. She wished Kaito would repeat it, smiling as always. But he wouldn't even look at her, furthering her worry. What if he never talked to her again?

Gakupo smiled mildly, and patted her on the shoulder. "I'll let Kaito take over. I'm sure he's _dying_ to talk to you. When you were late turning up, he was frantic. And when we found you all injured, he practically had a heart attack. So why not let _him_ have the honors?" His smile soon turned malicious, but the venom was not directed toward Mari. Rather, it was toward Kaito, which cheered her up a bit.

Kaito looked at her again, their eyes meeting for a moment. He looked genuinely worried, and very stressed. She felt guilty for giving him such a hard time. Poor guy was going through a lot. And, with a jolt, she realized that he was like this because of her. His worry, all because of her. She promised to be more careful next time. She hated seeing him like this.

"How did you get here, Master?" he said simply, sitting down next to her on the bed. His face softened, and a smile tugged on his weary lips. How did she get there? Well...

"I had a virus on my computer," she said seriously, looking at him with wide, blue eyes. "It was awful, porn ads everywhere. I went on the web to find a solution and downloaded this weird program. I ran it. And I ended up here. To put it simply." Her explanation was blunt and straightforward, with no beating around the bush. She still didn't quite get how she ended up there, but that's how it happened.

"Must have been Akaito's summoning program. I heard him mention it," Kaito murmured, folding his hands in his lap. He narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. That expression, it was familiar. Mari gasped.

"You-You look like Akaito! He looked just like that when he was thinking," she exclaimed, index finger pointed at his face. He peered down at her, smiling. But it wasn't the usual, sugar-coated smile he usually sent her way. It was bitter, glazed with lies and harsh truths. It was scary, to be honest. She wasn't used to seeing him that way. It was _creepy_.

"I thought you knew already," Gakupo grinned lightheartedly. "Akaito's his brother. Didn't you tell her?" He instantly knew he had said the wrong thing, as Kaito glowered at him emptily.

"Yes," the blue haired male sighed. "He _is_ my brother. He's older than me by a year."

"But what about Kaiko?"

His head shot up furiously, hope sparking in his previously biting gaze. "She's alive?"

But Gakupo interrupted. "This is not the time for reunions. Explain, Kaito."

Kaito regained his despairing look, eyes hollow. "Yes, of course." He adjusted his posture, shifting the blankets underneath him. "The virus, to put it simply, is using you as a link. A sort of bridge. Using you, it can travel from your computer to the Database. You can't let it. It just tried to pass through, don't you see?" He gripped her shoulders, desperately trying to make her understand. "It will destroy us!"

Mari jumped at his sudden touch, having been enthralled by his words. So this place might blow up, all because of her. Wonderful. "How can I prevent it?" she asked, eyes low. Maybe she really was insane. She had been sucked into a computer, which was impossible. Who's to say this wasn't all some strange hallucination?

Kaito looked back, sensing her doubt. "You have to stay cheerful. Strong, unpleasant emotions benefit the virus. It can force it's way out." He placed his hand on her head, attempting to comfort the distressed girl. But a simple gesture did not brighten the mood. In fact, Mari didn't look like she had felt it whatsoever.

Gakupo burst in, looking solemn once again. "Therefore, you will have daily meetings with Miku on how to stay optimistic." Seeing Mari's protesting face, he added, "They are mandatory." And with that, he swished out the door elegantly, coat flapping behind him.

Mari yelled, burying her face in her pillow. She hated this, she hated this. She wanted to go home. She had suffered great injuries, been taunted by Miku, had had terrible dreams involving dark forests and blood. "I want to go home!" she complained, ripping the pillow from her face.

She spotted Kaito's face for a moment. It was blank, unreadable. A hand suddenly clamped on her shoulder, and lips met her's.

_Lips met her's._

Wha-?


	13. Chapter 13

AN;; Finally, we're getting somewhere with these two. D Enjoy guys!

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 13

Oh, oh shoot. Her heart pounded hard against her chest. Her cheeks were burning a vivid rose. Eyes thrown open in surprise. Two lips were pressing on her own. Two, wonderful lips. Wait, what? She-She wasn't enjoying this or anything. Was she? It had come out of nowhere. And yet she found her eyes gracefully shutting. Hands entwining with each other. Her heart was a hammer beating her poor chest, her stomach a raging whirlpool. And one word still rang through her head. 'Why?'

He drew away from her after what had seemed like hours, a hand masking his mouth. He wore a horrified, nervous expression. His blue eyes were wide, his cheeks a violent shade of magenta. He cleared his throat anxiously. "Um, I'd better, um, get something to eat. Miku will be here at, um, noon tomorrow," he said hurriedly, rushing out.

She was alone. But that flustered, alert feeling had not yet departed. The room felt very silent and dull. It scared her. After all that had happened, she was sitting in this room, drowning in silence. Her mind whirled, and her mouth felt rather dry. Perhaps she would get some lunch as well. She stood rigidly, brushing wrinkles out of her orange top. Tugging sadly on her head gauze. It was quite uncomfortable. But if she took it off, her head wound would open up again.

Sighing, she swung open the wooden door. Scents instantly flooded her nose. A pleasant blend of sugar and salt, and a warm touch in the air. She breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet, sweet spice. But something else lingered on her lips: the syrupy tang of ice cream. She found herself smiling in spite of the butterflies flipping her belly like a battery pancake. In spite of the apprehension that was gnawing away at her.

She had soon reached the food court. It was dotted with tables, each housing several smiling UTAUs and Vocaloids. Sunlight leaked through the glass ceiling in a feeble attempt to comfort her. She ignored it. She remembered when she too had sat at one of these tables, laughing and gulping down cake. Kaito grinning down at her. How had things gotten so complicated?

She felt a hand clasp her shoulder, and spun around. Rin stood there, smirking and clutching a rather juicy orange. The blond haired girl hastily adjusted the bow atop her head. "H'lo, Master. Told you we should've come. Maybe then you'd 've come back in one piece. And anyway, we're eating. Come 'n join us!" Rin dragged Mari to a large table, where many Vocaloids were seated as they munched on foods of their choice.

Mari plopped into a chair, yawning. A certain green haired girl poked her on the shoulder, and she glanced to her right. Gumi, of course. She looked very distraught. Her hair stuck out at various points, and her clothes had a good many wrinkles in them. Not to mention the crack in her goggles. "Master," she began, voice dripping with relief. "What would you like?" Ah, yes, Gumi was a waitress. Well...

Mari hugged her. Gumi was sort of like an older sister to her. She didn't like seeing Gumi like this, so worried and disheveled. The gesture caught the older girl by surprise, but she returned it gently, careful not to harm Mari's bandages. They separated after a bit, and Mari replied that she would prefer a slice of cake with vanilla icing. Gumi darted away.

Where had that doubt gone? That distrust from earlier? She felt _closer _to the Vocaloids, rather than farther away. And after Kaito, her mood had improved, even if it was a subtle change. The hate and suspicion burrowing at the bottom of her stomach had thinned to a silky, carefree sheet. Her skin was painted with rich colors, eyes the brightest blue. She wasn't insane. She was perfectly normal. His kiss was like a hand flipping a switch in her mind, turning on a light that had flickered out.

The cake soon sat in front of her, smeared with creamy icing and speckled with tiny sprinkles. Mari grasped the plastic fork between eager fingers, mouth awaiting the taste of delicious cake. The rich, chocolatey flavor immobilizing her taste buds. Absolutely scrumptious. She was just raising it to her mouth, lips parted in an 'o', when _he_ urged his way through the bustling crowd.

The fork plopped onto her plate, but her hand was still suspended and her mouth hung open. But her sapphire eyes goggled at him, soundlessly tracing the edges of his face. It really was quite awkward, sitting there gawping at the guy who just kissed you. What was she supposed to say? 'Oh, hi, you're a good kisser. Want some food?' Urgh, how pathetic.

Luckily, he made the decision for her. "Er, hi Mari. You said something about my sister?" he sat down quickly. His eyes narrowed and pried for an answer. Did he have psychic powers too?

"Mhm," Mari yawned, munching on cake. Oooooh, wow. She sighed in sheer delight. It was amazing, the best cake she'd ever tasted. It was like biting into a chocolate heaven. She soon came to her senses, and continued. "Akaito chucked me in jail, and she came in, gave me some tea, broke the bars on the window and helped me escape. Nice kid."

Kaito choked on the water he was drinking. "He-He threw you in jail? She broke the bars in the cell?" he gasped incredulously. He clung to her every word, an overly excited child on their first day of school. If that cup wasn't thick ceramic, she swore it would have broken. "How?" he frowned.

She lowered the mouthful of cake she had lifted. "He was all disappointed that I wasn't Master, which I am, and had this purple guy drag me away. He flung me into prison, which is how I got this head injury. Kaiko pitied me, and spoke to me for a while, and made a cup of tea float to me. Then she made _me_ float, broke the bars on the window without laying a finger on them, and I got out. Basically," she explained, eating more of the cake. Mmmmm, yum.

Kaito gawked at her. "Taito _gave you that_?" he growled, voice shaking. He trembled with anger, sending fierce shivers down Mari's spine. She could hear the pure hatred in his voice, which he had not bothered to mask. Kaito _never_ got angry. He was always smiling and laughing and happy happy joy joy, right? Right?

Apparently not.

He calmed himself after a moment, silencing the venom that rang in his tone. He soon looked rather amused. "Kaiko's been getting better, I see," he managed to laugh. "She could barely lift straws last time I saw her." He looked wistfully down at the table, smile still etched on his mask of a face. Where was the childish boy who had gulped down ice cream cake without a care? Who was this sad, hollowed man who could hardly spare a smile? She didn't know who Kaito was anymore.

She did not voice her thoughts, but instead finished her snack silently, handing the crumb coated plate to Gumi once she was finished. The unfairness of it all. All the things that had happened to her was nothing compared to what Kaito had endured, she was sure. It tugged on her heart, and she felt a tear or two slip, unnoticed, into her eye.

Mari stood behind Kaito, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him. "It'll be alright," she assured him, though not quite sure herself.

"I promise."


	14. Chapter 14

AN;; Hey! I think my updates will be a little more frequent. n_n Enjoy this next chap.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 14

"Huh. Look at all those stars tonight," sighed a voice, wistful as a January breeze. She rested her face in the palm of her hand, gazing up at the stars above. They glimmered gloriously. Despite being alone in the vast expanse of space, they shone, little men with lanterns weaving through the dark. So full of faith that they would eventually find their way. So unconcerned with the inevitable death that awaited them, fading to cool black. She wished she could be so simple, so carefree. So indifferent toward the troubles of the world.

A voice droned on, a generic female newscaster rambling on about something or other. The twinkling stars were framed by a television, and some obscured by the neon banner that read 'Life on Europa?!'. She honestly didn't care. So she reached for the remote, poised it in front of her, and flicked off the irritating device. Hm, that was better.

It was supposedly night outside of the Database. Teenagers returning from lengthy dates, students huddling over notebook pages. She flung a few Doritos into her mouth, munching on them lazily. It was midday in there, though, and a very hot day it was. She had changed into a tank top and shorts to ward off unnecessary heat. Taking occasional swigs of water to hinder thirst. It was awful. To make matters worse, Miku was to be there any minute. Yes, Miku. The meanest of the mean. The flirtiest of the flirty. The most persuasive of the persuasive. How she was stuck with low pay, Mari didn't know. Heck, the girl could pull raises out of trees.

There was a sharp rap at the door, and she groaned, standing suddenly. "Oh boy, _Miku_'s here," she grimaced, before clasping the knob and swinging the door open. A girl stood there, light teal pigtails rippling. Her lips were freshly glossed, cheeks fairly blushed, and eyebrows plucked to fine strands. She wore a pink sundress. Obviously she had been trying to charm a few boys. And, judging by the drop of saliva that clung to the corner of her lip, she had succeeded.

"Hello, Mari," Miku smirked, stepping inside. She set her pastel purse on top of the coffee table. "What a _fine_ day, hm? Why don't we go outside to practice?" There was the slightest hint of malice in her voice, but she hid it with sugary smiles and polite conversation. She was plotting something, although Mari couldn't decipher what. Something...

"I suppose we could," Mari replied sleepily, yawning. "I could use some ice cream, though. It's boiling out there." She folded her arms stubbornly, her feet set and stationary on the carpet. Miku was supposed to keep her happy. She wanted ice cream. An idiot could fill in the blanks. Yes, these meetings might be to her advantage.

"Of course, Mari. I'll do _anything_ to keep you happy," she grinned wider. Her eyes narrowed, and she too resembled the Cheshire cat. The snake-like venom in her veins seemed to leak through her pores and seep onto Mari. Chilling her mood and popping the cheery bubbles within her mind. Miku was scary.

Mari stared back, confidence pouring out by the gallon. "Um, alright. Can I have an orange ice pop?" she asked. She found herself gripping her arms and biting her lips in a nervous sort of way. Oh, come _on_. This was _Miku_. What was she supposed to be afraid of? This relaxed her, and she lowered her arms casually.

Miku had spotted Mari's moment of weakness. "Sure, Mari. You _are_ our _beloved_ Master, hm? Never dreaming of harming us?" She rifled through her bag with newly polished nails, finally snatching out a white packet of some sort. She gingerly ripped off the wrapper, revealing an orange ice pop. Just what Mari had wanted. And yet... "I keep these in case Kaito wants them. You know about his whole obsession," she smiled. She held out the fruity snack, waiting for Mari to take it. "Go on."

Mari held her hand out tentatively, unsure. It seemed alright. It was an ice pop. Just a nice, normal ice pop. It sat in Miku's hand, delicious and cold. All she needed was to reach out and seize it. Run her tongue along it's side, taste the tangy juice. But there was something suspicious about this. Something, although she couldn't put her finger on it. Eventually, her hunger overruled her doubt and she took it.

Mari bit it. Augh, brain freeze. Her head ached from the cold dessert. But brain freeze was only supposed to last for a minute, wasn't it? Why did her head still hurt? It began to throb, and blood leaked out of her wound, staining the gauze with fresh scarlet. All the breath seemed to leave her lungs, all the color from her skin. She couldn't breathe, couldn't see. She was numb.

She tried to blink, but she couldn't move her eyelids. She fell backward onto the couch, head hitting the pillow with a muffled thump. Her insides contracted uncomfortably. She couldn't think. Frozen with shock and lack of breath. Was she dying? She couldn't know for sure. A pressure was making its way up her throat again, but she couldn't fight it this time. Forcing its way to her mouth, parting her lips. And escaping, a dark swirl of energy out to terrorize the world. "Oh," she gasped hopelessly, "no."

Miku was grinning wider than ever. She drew over slowly, light blue hair swaying. "Who's the Master now, Mari?" she snarled. Her words, honey-coated, stung Mari in her half-conscious state. She lowered her dainty hand, each fingernail painted shiny blue. It closed around a flap on Mari's shoulder bandage, and she peeled it off. The pain was excruciating, but Mari was unable to yell, to protest. Miku pulled out something, something she didn't recognize, and coaxed a bit of blood into it.

The beaming girl stepped back, screwing the top back on the object. She then let out a cold laugh, a cackle. She slipped out the door after a moment, leaving Mari on the couch, bleeding and barely awake. Mari stared after her, sight soon fading to black. Mi....Ku....Killed....Her.....

-------

A light soon appeared in the darkness, a glimmer of hope. She ran toward it, legs pounding on the nothing around her. But it wasn't nothing. It was black and purple and colors she couldn't possibly describe, swirling around her, pulsating rhythmically. They snapped at her limbs gently, attempting to grab them and pull her in. No, no!

She tore through it, harder than ever. Sweat sliding down her pale face. The light grew brighter, was tinted the warmest gold. And the further she went, the bigger it got. But something grabbed her leg, pulling her back. She glanced down. Clutching her ankle was Kaito, bloody and battered, gasping for life's sweet breath. Tears spilled down his smeared cheeks.

"Mari," he sobbed, tugging her back. "Come back! I need you!" Kaito looked up at her, blue eyes dark and glossed over. Kaito! Kaito! She had to go back, she had to save him. Why had he followed her? Had he been trying to save her? Aww, how sweet. She had to go back in. Poor guy was practically dying! "Don't mind the others, we don't need them," he breathed. "Let's just relax, forget about it all."

No! She couldn't do that. Her friends were in danger. But, oh, it was so tempting. To just let go of it all and follow Kaito. Never having to worry about Akaito or viruses or strange psychics. Bliss was so near, so tangible in that moment. _Yes. You could forget it all_. Yes, no more worries. She could join it. _Bliss, my dear. Sheer happiness._ But, no. She couldn't. All her friends. And she might never get out again. What about Rin? Gumi? Her family, outside the Database? _Forget them. I'll be your family._ No.

She ripped her ankle away from Kaito, gazing down at him sadly. "I'm sorry, but no." She then dashed into the light, all her worries fading into nothing. Dark, no matter how strong, was always defeated by light. Yes, she would be free! Moans and screams drifted from the dusk, jabbing her ears like knives. Hauling her back in, but she yanked herself free. At last, the last tints of twilight melted away, and she floated in a golden dawn.

Soon, that too disappeared, and she fell once again into sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

AN;; Hey guys! I haven't had much time lately, which is why this chap is a teensy bit late. Don't worry though, it's worth it. c:

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 15

"Master, wake up."

Hng? What was that?

"Master, will you please get up?

Nn, no, she was tired. Just a few more minutes?

"Alright, _Mari_. We have cake."

Cake! Her head instantly shot up, blue eyes wide. Tangled hair swinging. "Cake?" she smiled happily. "Where?" Her eyes scoured the room, but there was no cake to be seen. So, deciding that they must be hiding it, she tackled Kaito. "Cake!"

Surprised, Kaito had hastily reacted and was now being squashed by Mari, his arms hanging uselessly behind her back. He was still rigid, each muscle fixed in place. "Um, sorry. We don't have cake," he frowned awkwardly. "Will, uh, you get off me?"

Mari pouted. "No fair!" She let go of him and flopped back onto the bed. That was an awful prank. They knew she loved cake. How could they do that to her? It was cold, heartless. Kaito was cute though. Hee. After a moment she became cheerful again, fingering the ragged throw that she had previously clasped around her.

Kaito wasn't the only one there, though. Standing beside him was Gakupo, who was rather amused, and Miku, who scowled whenever she was sure a boy wasn't looking. Why were they there? Was-Was this a party or something? She should have bought a dress. Cake would have been perfect, though. The icing on the cake, as they say. How fitting!

Gakupo spoke next, growing a bit more serious. "Alright, let's get down to business. We found you, poisoned and bleeding, passed out on your sofa. Miku informed us as soon as she found out. Do you have anything to say on the matter?" he explained, folding his hands.

It all came back to her. Miku's visit, the ice pop, the dream. The awful realization that she had to do whatever she could to stop the virus and Akaito, even if it meant losing Kaito, and other things close to her. Honestly, why couldn't life be simple? She was sick of all this. And why hadn't they put Miku in jail yet? Who knew who she could strike next?

"Miku came over," Mari began to explain, pausing every now and then. "She offered that we go outside, and I said I wanted an ice pop, since it was so hot. She gave me one, and I ate it. It was poisoned. While I collapsed, she peeled my shoulder thing off and took some of my blood. Then she left." After the brief recap, she waited anxiously for their reply. Would they believe her? She was tainting their _precious_ Miku's image, after all.

Miku sneered. "Impossible! Why would I, of all people, try to _murder_ Mari? I mean, come on!" She veered her face toward Gakupo, throwing on a cute and sweet act again, trying to get him to sink into her facade. Oh no, not now. Fight it, Gakupo. Fight it! Don't give in to her.

It worked. Gakupo sighed thoughtfully. "I can't see how Miku would commit attempted murder. What do you think her motives were for this, Master? And what do you think about all this Kaito?" He looked doubtfully at Mari. Oh no. Oh _god_ no. Even if Kaito believed her, there was still too much against her. Miku and Gakupo were the most powerful of the Vocaloids, the ones with the most support. If they said something, so would everyone else. She, in other words, was screwed.

Mari looked blankly at him, as all her hopes and certainties crashed down right in front of her. Landing splat on the floor, some zooming down vacant toilets. "I have no idea. Maybe you should ask her." Why? Oh, why did she have such terrible luck? Couldn't someone just kill her now, and save her the pain?

Suddenly, an idea zoomed right into her mind. It was a bit farfetched, and who knew if it could work? Miku _was_ the master of flirting. But hey, she could give it a shot. She threw on an adorable look, sending the pure 'kawaii' straight at Kaito. She saw his cheeks redden considerably. He cleared his throat, and turned away. Had it worked? She wasn't sure.

Kaito stared down at the floor, looking quite uncomfortable. "Um, I-I believe Master. I always have, and I always will. She, um, has never stretched the truth in my experience with her," he stated firmly. "And," he continued, voice stronger and more certain, "I never trusted that slut Miku in the first place." He looked at the seafoam haired girl with burning, defiant eyes, and she stepped back, overwhelmed from the heat of it all. Her blushed cheeks were flushed.

Mari immediately gazed at Kaito. He called Miku a _slut_? Oh, he really did support her! She really wanted to hug him. Gakupo looked at the both of them, Kaito glowering and Mari beaming, and held a mildly surprised air. He spoke. "I see. Miku, are you quite sure that you have no idea what they are talking about?" He was still suspicious of their story. Crap.

Miku laughed aloud, though a little more weakly this time. "Can't you see? This girl has embarrassed us, abused our hospitality, failed all her assigned tasks, and tried to get me, a trusted higher up, kicked out. What would be a better punishment than to kick _her_ out?" she suggested sweetly. Her honey coated words stung Mari's confidence.

Gakupo frowned, contemplating the options. Kaito gaped incredulously. While Mari, helpless toward her fate, sat, curled up on the bed. Oh no no no no no. They were going to kick her out? Out into the cold outside world? Alone and vulnerable? She knew Gakupo would give in to Miku. She was too persuasive. And Kaito had next to no power. The most he could do was rig the gates so that they wouldn't go crazy when she neared.

Miku sensed their hesitation, and knew she had to act fast. So, in a spur of the moment, she planted her rosy lips on Gakupo's. Oh wow. Miku reached a whole new level. Kissing guys just to influence them. What was next, sleeping with them? And this was no scan either. There was no light brushing the inside of his mouth. No, it was just a normal, average kiss. Gakupo's goggled at Miku, cheeks a deep shade of red. She was doomed.

Miku drew away after a bit, wetting her lips and blinking. A trace of saliva clung to her smiling mouth. "I think I have proven my point." she stated simply. Patting wrinkles out of her light sundress, she did a polite little curtsey and stepped out the door. In the midst of which she paused to stick her tongue out at Mari, who was frozen, mouth hanging agape.

She was done for. Finished. Toast. The can on the side of the road that will inevitably be stepped on. No stroke of luck could possibly save her. Not now. Not after Miku. She wanted to cry, but no tears would come. She was paralyzed with horror. And to think, not ten minutes ago she was jabbering over cake.

Mari could feel the air growing cold, the seconds drawling on like hours, the sky slipping into gray. Chills crept along her skin, up and down her spine. She grew pale. Anxiety tore at her. Just say it already! Make this end. 'I-I don't care about this place,' she thought. 'Why would I?' All her friends... 'I don't need them.' Her warm home and hot food... 'I'll cook my own food. I'll find my own shelter.' Kaito... 'I don't need him.'

So, when Gakupo's voice rang, she thought she was prepared. "Master, you are hereby exiled."

She was wrong.


	16. Chapter 16

AN;; Alrighty, this chap is loooong. Like, two thousand words. Which is why it took so long to write. Buckle your seat belts and get your popcorn, we're in for a bumpy ride. c;

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 16

Yes, she was very, very wrong.

Every single hope slapped her in the face. Every dream followed suit. She felt bruised, battered. Invisible blood seeped out, fresh wounds ripping her papery skin. It was all over. There was no turning back, no fixing things. She was going to be thrown out into the cold. No one cared about some slimy urchin girl. Why would they? It wasn't as if she were particularly useful or pleasant. No, she deserved the cruel, rough road. To die, alone and unloved. It seemed a rather painful fate, but there was no avoiding it.

Hot tears slipped down her cheeks. She choked on them, coughing and sputtering desperately. "N-No," she gasped. "Please! I'll-I'll do anything. I'll fix it. Just please..." She was clutching Gakupo's leg, sobbing loudly. Oh, please. Let her stay let her stay let her stay. She would do absolutely anything. Just please oh please oh _please_!

Gakupo merely raised an eyebrow. "I can't see why I should," he replied coolly. "Kaito, lead _Mari_ out." Mari? Oh god, he didn't respect her as Master anymore. She was positively doomed. Standing, she sadly hung her head. Resisting was pointless. Fighting was pointless. She might as well have thrown herself onto the road to die right then. Why bother?

Kaito nodded slowly, clasping Mari's hand within his own. She looked up at him, tears dotting her eyelashes. "Don't worry," he whispered, so that she could just barely hear. He swung open the door unceremoniously, and led her out, as if it were an everyday thing. Yep, she was exiled. Nothing important, oh no, just a daily mundane errand. Ah ha ha. The thought made a bitter laugh ring through her head, drowning out everything else. And why shouldn't she worry? She was being _kicked out into the cold_. What was there _not_ to worry about?

They walked through the hallways, passing Vocaloids and UTAUs as they went. Some were familiar, and threw Mari a friendly little wave. Other unfamiliar ones passed her by without a glance. All average little people, leading their average little lives. The biggest thing they had to worry about was what they would cook for dinner. They wouldn't last a day in her life, oh no. They hurried past the food court, where delicious scents wafted into Mari's nose, and she sighed. Food. One thing she would miss. It's not as if hamburgers and fries are exactly common things to grow on a bush. But soon, they had reached the large glass doors, the looming gates not far ahead. Her little tour of VocaUTAU Central was over, and so was her time there.

She seemed to float mindlessly through the doors, until she stood just outside of the translucent teal paneled gate. Kaito stood beside her, his indigo hair ruffled. There was no breeze to urge her on and reassure her. Only a stiff, cold air, like the wind's passion had died. The sky was a thick gray, and looked as if someone had taken a large spoon and swirled it around. Dark clumps here and there, with occasional partings to let feeble rays of light escape. The setting dampened her mood further, and tears threatened at her eyes once again. No, she wouldn't cry. Not now, not again. Pride, it was a hateful thing.

The dusty path beneath Mari. It held such uncertainty, such doubt. Who knew what could lay beyond the gated sanctuary of VocaUTAU Central? Her future was shrouded in thick mist. Impossible to penetrate and reveal. Impossible. That was what her mother used to call her. It almost made her smile, thinking of the woman's familiar face, grinning wryly down at her. But she may not ever see her again. She might just die, alone and forgotten. Her happiness was drowning, confidence choked by the raging waters of mystery and suspicion.

He was beside her, gaze softened to a dark velvet. His hand still grasped her's. He held tighter, firmer. Trying to reassure her. It wouldn't work, would never work. He was her closest friend, maybe something more. But nothing could yank her back up. They didn't care what happened to her. Miku. It was all Miku's fault. She hated her. The selfish─well, she didn't like to curse─ had betrayed her trust. Had hurt her and poisoned her. Then she seduced and manipulated Gakupo, someone who Mari was close to. And he was weak. He allowed himself to be influenced, and her departure was the result. Screw pride, Miku was worse.

"Master, or, well, do you want me to call you Mari?" he voiced, unsure. His deep tone was once music to her ears. 'Oh, Kaito was here! Everything would be alright.' she used to think. Ha, yeah right. He was here, right next to her. Close enough to touch and feel his soft skin. But things were not alright. They were nowhere near alright. He was doubting her too. Just like all the others. They couldn't care less about her. He was joining the trend. He was hopping on that awful bandwagon. So much for friends.

"Whatever the trends dictate, oh wise and kind one. Perhaps it will be ogre or troll next. Or maybe I'm a snot nosed brat who 'abused your hospitality'," she snapped. She couldn't help herself. It was true, was all true. He couldn't possibly deny it. Who cares about diamonds? _Sarcasm_ is a girl's best friend.

Kaito looked at her with an unreadable expression. It was strange, blank, and yet not. Undecipherable. Unrecognizable. It was foreign to her, like the world beyond the looming gate. His eyes stared ahead hazily, as if dreaming. His mouth was twisted into some strange hybrid of a smile and a frown. He stepped forward after a moment, and wrapped his arms around her. A surprising gesture. And it calmed her, soothed her. She melted in his embrace.

To heck with pride. She found herself crying again, burying her splotched face in his shirt. How had things gotten so complicated? So confusing? She had no idea what she was supposed to do. Two people had attempted murder on her already. She was hated by quite a few, and others simply disliked her. Kaito was the only one she could lean on, her only crutch. Everyone else had no idea. They were ignorant, they just didn't understand. And who knew what stories Miku was feeding them all? Her life was falling apart, and she couldn't figure out how to piece it back together.

Kaito withdrew after a bit, standing in front of her, stationary. His strange expression was replaced by a smile, the warmest she'd ever seen it. It was sad too, wistful. The kind of face you get when summer's ending, just before the start of school. She managed to smile feebly back, unsure if it was a mask or not. Unsure if she was just pretending. "It'll be alright," he murmured. "You'll eat, you'll stay safe." It seemed more of a reassurance to himself than to her. "And I'll come and find you as soon as I can."

Mari nodded. He would find her eventually, but what would he do? How could he possibly help? It wasn't as if _he_ could kiss Gakupo and manipulate him. No matter how odd Gakupo acted, Mari was sure he wasn't gay. The most Kaito could do was sneak ice cream to her so she could eat. And he wasn't exactly Superman either, so he couldn't really protect her. He might be able to keep her company, but that would only last until Akaito or Taito killed the both of them. To put it simply, the future didn't look very bright.

But it wasn't as if her saying something would solve anything, so Mari agreed to his plan quietly. It was vague and brief, but it was something at least. She would live for the time being. She was just about to bid him farewell, when─oh! She had forgotten to tell him. He would figure it out eventually, but it was better that she told him while she had the chance. It _was_ very important. So, shuffling her feet shyly, Mari said, "I let the virus out."

Those very words seemed to break the tension completely. The rain began to fall, cold and sharp on her bare skin. The wind fiercened, shaking the trees in a silent rage. The clouds blackened further to a dark soot. The dirt path grew muddy, reminding her of her memorable trip back from Fanmade Central. Kaito's silhouette of a figure trembled. Was he angry with her? Would he yell? Oh, she hoped he wouldn't desert her. At the moment, he was her only support. If he left, she was doomed.

But he merely placed his rather large hands on her shoulders, staring down at her wearily. "It was Miku, wasn't it?" he breathed, voice partially drowned out by the rain. His clothes were sticking to him, his hair was stringy and sopping water. Little drops slid down his pale skin, as if it were some cheery amusement park ride. Not that there was much showing. Kaito wore a lot of clothes, after all.

"Yes," she answered sadly, not even having the courage to look at him. She imagined his sad, crestfallen face, and her stomach flopped over in discomfort. She hated when Kaito was disappointed. It made her feel awful. He was so nice and sweet, usually. So when he was sad it put a damper on her mood considerably. It made her feel extremely guilty, even though it wasn't her fault in the first place. He just had that effect on people.

"It's alright," he sighed finally. "We'll get rid of it. It was bound to happen eventually." He sounded wearier and more tired than before, as if every bit of energy had been drained out of him. And almost as if he didn't have faith in his words. They were just fluff to make her feel better. Just fluff. And, believe it or not, it was working. She was starting to feel better, starting to see that pinprick of light in the distance, though it was blurry.

She found herself nodding in agreement. The rain lightened a bit, for it had been storming heavily only moments before. The slow rumble of thunder in the distance quieted, and the wind slowed to a more merciful speed. Kaito handed her an umbrella. It was dark blue with round little polka dots. She opened it, and it certainly did the job. It gave her a dry little circle to stand in, safe from the rain's freezing droplets.

Mari looked back at Kaito, and suddenly felt like she had to say something. A simple goodbye just wasn't enough. She needed to thank him for his kindness or something. But that seemed too cheesy. She searched her mind for the correct words, but she got nothing in reply. Except, well. Her cheeks burned a dull crimson.

"Kaito? I-I love you."

She ran off, heart pounding, face hot. Oh god, what had she said? She couldn't look back, not now. Oh, wow, that was really stupid of her. Just saying something like that out of the blue. And it wasn't even accurate. Or-Or was it? She felt even more uncomfortable thinking that, and cleared her mind of the incident.

Hey, ignorance was bliss, right?

-------

A girl huddled in the corner, obscured by a large shrub. Her skin was scraped and smeared with dirt. She was rather thin and scrawny. And yet, she wasn't the typical stray child. Her hair was a candy shop red, tied neatly in two drills that brushed her shoulders. Her round little red eyes twinkled in amusement. This girl seemed like fun. Maybe she would surprise her. Surprises were always lots of fun. But she had to wait for the right moment. That girl was in no mood to play games.

Aw, well. Maybe they'd play soon enough. The girl turned her face away, and laid her head on the cakey ground. She curled up there, and fell asleep, her breath slow and steady. She was having a wonderful dream. Mm, french bread. She did love it a lot. She began to murmur it in her dream. "Oh, oh french breeeeaaaad. Come heeeere," she whispered airily. "Come heeeeeeerreee."

….

Were those footsteps? Who was that? She blinked open her red eyes, only to meet pure blue ones. Who─oh, it was the girl she'd been watching. Whoops, she must've drifted off. So much for surprising her. But they could still play games! She grinned up at the other girl, and held her slightly grimy hand out. A handshake. She'd seen adults do it, and it was supposed to be polite. Why shouldn't she try? She had been pretty mean, falling asleep on the girl.

"Hello!" she giggled. "I'm Teto!"


	17. Chapter 17

AN;; Sorry for the wait. School and Gaia have been keeping me busy. :c

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 17

She was gone. She was really, truly gone. He knew it, he had seen her go after all. But somewhere inside of him, he just couldn't believe it. As if she would peer at him from behind a door, and jump out to surprise him. But no, it wasn't true. She was out there, somewhere he couldn't yet reach. And, no matter what, he had to help her. The poor girl. It wasn't her fault Miku was awful and seductive and persuasive. And it really wasn't Gakupo's fault for giving in. If he had been in the same situation, well, he wouldn't have gotten himself in that situation in the first place.

He sighed, tapping his foot on the floor. Life was so complicated lately. What with the virus, Mari, Miku, Mari, the Fanmades, and did he mention Mari? She was just so-so─ he just couldn't think of the right word. She was always getting herself into trouble, intentionally or not. Getting herself injured, thrown in jail, et cetera. He didn't mind comforting and helping her, of course. She was his Master, and he cared for her deeply. But why couldn't she just keep herself healthy and out of trouble? Granted, a lot of those things weren't her fault, but couldn't she be a bit stronger and try a hand at common sense?

A sharp ding sounded, and the doors swooshed cleanly open. He exited the comfy, fabric lined elevator, and leaned against the wall. In his hand was a fresh cup of coffee. He didn't normally drink it, but he hadn't been getting a lot of sleep lately, and he needed it. He raised the cardboard cup to his mouth, drawing a bit of the hot drink into his mouth. Mmm, refreshing. It was near sickly sweet from all the sugar and milk he had put it (coffee was so bitter!), but he really didn't mind all that much. As long as he had the energy to get through the day, he was good. He heard footsteps, somewhere down the white lined hall, echoing up to his ears. The source of said sound was soon revealed, as they paraded up the hallway.

'They' was Miku. A short, periwinkle dress hid her slender waist and abundant chest. Her feet were squeezed into very expensive looking heels, and her turquoise hair was pinned in a casual bun. She looked extremely pretty, and could seduce any male in an outfit like that. He guessed she had gone to see Gakupo. They were a bit of a thing now. Except, she was using him to get her way as to who stays in VocaUTAU Central and who goes. The poor guy, he had no idea. He would have felt pity for him, but it was the man's own fault for letting his weakness peek through. Miku was to blame as well. She, after all, was the one to tempt him in the first place. She walked up, flashing a dazzlingly bright smile.

"Hello, Kai-Kai," she chirped sweetly. She was very near to him. Her face was maybe a foot and a half from his. Her blue eyes gleamed maliciously, proving the grin on her glossed lips was anything but sugary. What was she planning to do now? Seduce _him_? It wasn't like he had any power. He was just a known face in the crowd. But it was clear she had persuasion of some sort on her mind. "Aren't you glad that silly old Mari is gone? She really was a bother, hm?" What was she going on about? He cared about Mari. She was his Master. His sweet, innocent little Master. And, truth be told, Miku was her complete opposite. Uncaring and seductive, she would do anything to get her way. And yet, there was a charm to her. A honey all her own. And, to be honest, he wasn't completely against it.

"Miku, I'm kind of busy," he lied, desperate to get her to leave. He was slipping. Holding up this act was hard. She really was pretty, and if he wasn't careful he'd have the same fate as Gakupo. He gulped down the rest of his coffee at once, shuddered, and tried to wriggle away. But Miku put her arms on either side of him, pinning him against the wall. Uh oh. Well, maybe she would give him ice cream?

"I'm sure you are," she said, grinning wider still. Her tangerine coated lips were full, and, oh, they were getting bigger. No, closer. Her face was soon centimeters from his, and she closed the gap. This was no scan. In a scan, the opposite 'loid's lips only brush your own, and the warm light within your mouth is more prominent. No, this was a kiss, and a rather spontaneous one at that. It was meant to surprise him, but also to catch him when he was most weak. Miku was _good_. And her lips were good too. Sweet as oranges, and─ no! Bad Kaito, don't give in. But, hmmm, so tempting. To just, give in...

She drew away after a moment. He stood, flustered and clutching to the last droplet of defiance he could muster. He couldn't give in. He couldn't give in. He couldn't give in. He could give in. No! He couldn't. Not in a million years. Miku's kiss wasn't even all that great, anyway. He much preferred Mari's. N-Not that he remembered that little incident, though. Ahahaha, no. Even still, it brought a noticeable blush to his cheeks. Miku, thinking his embarrassment was due to her, nodded triumphantly. He remembered his dear Master's words as she dashed away. She loved him. It had kind of shocked him at the time, but it was understandable. They were friends. They cared about each other's welfare. Nothing more to it. Or, he pondered, was there?

"Now," she said. "Would Mari do that?" She was smiling at him, eyes narrowed. _Would_ Mari do that? No, she wasn't like Miku. Not all. They were so different they were day and night. But it wasn't like he couldn't imagine it. It would be kind of awkward, since she was younger than him by a few years, but it wasn't completely and utterly impossible. She would draw closer, brown hair framing her face, blue eyes glinting. And─er, maybe he'd give this a break. He felt like he was stewing from all that heat. Ahaha.

Miku kissed him again, although this time it was only a peck. "I'm going to go talk to some friends. Will you be alright?" she smiled, a sickly sweet sugar on her lips. It was delicious, oh yes, but too much would blind him. It was poison, sprinkling her mouth. So very tempting to taste, but if you do it eats you from the inside out. He loved her. But he couldn't stand her. Does that make sense? Either way, he wished he could just vanish into corrupted data. Just to elude her. Just to escape. It was the only place he could go where she couldn't follow.

"Yes," he murmured, staring idly at the ground. He honestly didn't care what she did or who she was with, long as she left the room. But some part of him wanted to scream out, 'Don't! Don't leave me.' Like this was some sort of game, and he would lose if he didn't force her to stay. Ha. If this was a game, he was _winning_, not losing. She was the bad guy, shooting at him and slowly draining his life away. He either had to fight her (which he honestly couldn't do), or get out of her range of fire. The second was the simplest choice in that situation. Just, run. So that her bullets don't hit you.

He was running. Shoes pounding against the blank slate of a floor. Arms swinging back and forth, hair fluttering with the energy of it. Coat flapping along with it all. He rushed past innocents, each smiling and laughing without a care in the world. Or arguing over petty things. He loved all that. It was a pleasant life. One without worries, without doubts. Like before his own brother had come up with Fanmade Central. Before they had begun preparing for war. Before he had fallen in love with his own Master.

He froze, sweat gliding down his cheek. Him love Mari? Maybe as a friend. A close friend, even. But not in that way. No, definitely not in that way. Ha ha. Realizing his face was ablaze once again, he continued his jog, and dashed down a narrower hall, turning his back on the cheery 'loids' carefree lives. Soon he had reached a door. It was rather tall and metallic, and a couple of dents were in it. It stood at the very end of the hallway, and was lit dimly, the light above his head flickering wearily.

He entered after a moment, the many computers greeting him with a friendly whir. He stepped toward one, brushing his hand over it's smooth surface. Their computers were the latest, sleekest models, with the highest specs possible. They needed that, in order to run everything. This was the control room. It was a portal to the Great Lab, the place where Creator made them all. Some had tried to speak to Creator, but they never responded. Well, once they did. The Database had been in ruins, and one brave soul had marched up and demanded help. Unfortunately, he was electrocuted mere moments later, and never told the rest what Creator had said.

He had wanted to show Mari this. To see if she would be the one to finally contact Creator. But, well, that was hopeless now, what with everything going on. He looked at the computer he had touched, only to find half of it gone. A shadow was it's only remnant. He could no longer feel it. Just air, slipping swiftly between his fingers. He jumped backward, surprised. What the-? Half a computer had vanished! Was it his doing? Or had the virus finally shown itself?

He swore he could feel a presence behind him. A rhythmic throbbing. And he was much too afraid to spin around and face it, so he just felt it tickle his back, his neck, with its being. Yanking the hairs straight up and sending shivers up and down. It was the virus, all right. It had finally cut the curtains and begun its havoc. And he sure as heck wasn't ready.

Suddenly, he heard a door slam shut. Footsteps clacking on the cement floor. Gakupo soon appeared, clutching a plastic gray clipboard. His hair a dull violet brushing the floor. He wore a curious sort of smirk. One that Kaito didn't quite recognize. The plum man then said smugly, "Kaito, didn't expect to see you here."

Right back at you, buddy.


	18. Chapter 18

AN;; Hey guys! C: Vocal here. There's a cameo by a new character here, and it's in Taito's POV. Enjoy~

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 18

Clear. Clear your head of all thoughts. Erase it. Blank it all out. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rid his mind of everything. It was the only way he could get some sleep. Otherwise, he'd just lay there 'til dawn. And that was never good. He'd snap people's heads off left and right. Not that he didn't enjoy that anyway. It was always fun to yell at them with an awful smirk, jeering and sneering and jabbing his finger. He just had to be careful who he did it too. Kaiko would throw him out the window, the Red One would kick him out, Kikaito would play some rude practical joke on him. But it was great fun to laugh at peasants. Hey, they couldn't retaliate!

There was a sharp rap at the door, and a weak voice whimpering, "May I come in?" Ugh, what was it now? He was trying to get some sleep, darn it! After getting no answer, the intruder pushed the door open, leaking light onto a half-asleep Taito and his room. He was curled up in rough blankets, clinging to a rather stiff pillow. His eyes were squinted. "Uhm, Violet One? The Great Red One wishes to see you," the messenger voiced yet again feebly.

Violet One? Right, that was his 'respectful' name. He sat up, bandaged arms lying on his lap. The Red One wanted to see him? What for? Did he want another person punished? Ohohoho, _that_ would be fun! Slicing them apart like crisp vegetables, watching thick blood stain the floor. Mmm, yum. It was his version of cooking, except he didn't eat the finished product. He just drank the delicious broth. And no, he wasn't a vampire. He was sick and tired of people asking that.

"Alright," Taito frowned, cracking his knuckles (it was an awful habit, but he wasn't sure how to break it). "Tell him I'll be there in a moment." The nervous little person that he couldn't quite see managed a soft 'mm', before hurrying off. Ugh, what could he do to get some freaking _sleep_ around there? Honestly, it seemed like someone always butted in _just _as he was drifting off. He groaned in annoyance. He was freaking _tired_. He didn't care what his brother had to say.

Taito got up lazily, ruffling his hair and tugging on his clothes. They weren't very comfortable, but they would do. His violet eyes scanned the room, just to ensure there was nothing else he needed to do. Nope, nothing. Grumbling, he swung open the door and ambled out. The hall was dark, lit dimly by an occasional lamp nailed to the wall. The smooth floor amplified his footsteps. Tap, tap, tap. He knew he shouldn't have worn his brown shoes! Oh well, too late.

Clap. Clap. Clap. It echoed up the hall, ringing sharply in his ears. That wasn't him. It couldn't be. So who...? He peered, but due to the light (or rather, lack of it), he couldn't see much. He could just make out a feminine figure, swinging her arms loosely. They soon drew nearer, a careless grin apparent on their face. No, _her_. It was Kiku. His, for lack of a better word, girlfriend. What was she doing up at this hour of the night?

"Kiku," he voiced, acknowledging her presence. Her long, cherry red hair reached to nearly the floor, her matching eyes glinting. Her headband was wrapped firmly about her head. And her white and red attire was trimmed with faint little blotches of blood, barely noticeable and yet they stuck out like a sore thumb. They were remnants from their little dates, he thought fondly. They did tend to get a bit messy, but he always managed to clean things up before any intruders turned up.

"Taito," she smiled softly, lips parting. She leaned forward, brushing a lock of hair out of her face, and pressed her soft lips against his. Mm, so sweet. Like the freshest nectar coated in delicious sugar. He furthered the kiss, wrapping the torn rose in his arms. He soon drew away. A gentle look was on his face, and he brushed her cheek with his bandaged hand. "I see you've been practicing," his flower voiced yet again, rather amused.

"What can I say? I have the most beautiful girl to practice on," he said. He loved her. She was a lovely doll, she really was. Sweet and pretty and incredibly naive. His perfect treasure. He loved to polish her and turn her over in his hands, like she was a highly esteemed prize. She was his prize. His gem. His gorgeous, faultless, meadow of a lawn. Of course, sometimes she needed pruning, like any healthy lawn. So he simply snipped away at the bad parts, and wa la! Perfect once more.

Kiku giggled shyly, shuffling her feet. "Oh, Tai! Stop it!" His jewel. His beautiful, beautiful rose. Faultless, blameless, blemishless. The cream of the crop, as one might say. "Now," she said, coming to her senses, "I don't think you should see the Great Red One tonight. I hear he's planning something dangerous." Oh? Was she telling him what to do? _Was his rose telling him what to do_? Well, she always was a bit rebellious, but this!

His ginger smile instantly did a 180 and became a scowl, sending each inch of his face aflame with anger. "Oh, really?" he snarled. "Are you calling me weak? I can't do dangerous things for the Red One? I've never heard such insults, and from my own girlfriend!" He glared at her with such intensity that she began to tremble, and her eyes grew wide.

"W-Well, I just want you to be safe," she murmured, tears brimming her eyes. The normally scarlet irises swam with water.

"So you don't think I can take care of myself?" he barked at her, rage growing. He was seething. His rose, she needed quite a pruning. But he only had time for a slight trim. So, breathing heavily, he smacked her. He hand hit her face hard, clapping sharply as it did so, leaving a large red mark. She grasped her cheek helplessly.

"That's not what I..." she whispered, then began to cry. Thick tears spilled down her face, and she shut her eyes tight. "I-I love you, Taito. Why do you do this to me?" she choked out feebly.

He smiled at her once again. Oh, his rose. His sweet, sweet rose. The trim seemed to have done the trick. He stepped forward, and enfolded her in his arms, breathing in her sweet scent of metal and Kool-Aid. Mm, he loved it. He loved her. His rose, his rose, his wonderful rose. "Ki, I'm so sorry," he cooed in her ear comfortingly. "I love you so much. I don't like to hurt you, I really don't."

"A-Alright, Tai."

Taito soon reached the Red One's throne room, within a great pair of marble doors with brass handles. He swung them open dramatically, throwing on a careless grin for good measure. His bout with Kiku had kind of scared him. No matter what, he didn't want to loose his flower, his wonderful flower. But he didn't want to trouble his brother with those meaningless personal problems. No, he would put that behind him.

The Red One was seated on his throne, a spindly golden chair lined with velvet and rare gems. He was glancing toward the side, stroking his chin thoughtfully. It was obvious he hadn't gotten any sleep yet. There were thick bags underneath his crimson eyes, and he was pale as a full moon. His hair was also neatly combed, while Taito's was rather disheveled. What important matter would make him stay up a good amount of the night? The Red One seemed to always be obsessing over his 'beauty sleep'.

"Hello?" the plum haired man inquired, folding his bony hands. How long would this take? He, unlike his brother, actually wanted some sleep that night. Seriously. His covers seemed like heaven compared to the bare halls and cool wooden floors. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible (or, as his beloved Kiku often put it, 'ASAP'). For now, though, he'd have to stay awake. Darn you users and your obsession with ruining a good nap!

The Red One spun his face around to look at his brother in a puzzled sort of way. He then nodded, and stood, brushing wrinkles out of his black and red coat, and tugging on his silky scarf. He wore a dull expression, eyebrows raised in silent greeting. Nice greeting. Taito always did like to be greeted with a 'WTF' face. "Hello, Taito. May I trust you?" It was such a vague, simple question, that he wasn't quite sure how to answer!

But of course he could trust him! They were brothers, peas in a pod, bugs in a rug. They had known each other since creation. So Taito nodded, and agreed, "Yes, you can trust me. We're brothers, aren't we?"

But Akaito did not respond to his rhetorical question. He stared at the wall with a blank expression. Unreadable. "But," he explained finally, "I don't know if I can _depend_ on you. This is, after all, a matter of life and death. If I don't get ahold of her soon, my kingdom will surely be destroyed." What...?

"Get ahold of who, your majesty?" Taito asked curiously, leaning forward ever so slightly.

"Master," the Red One frowned. Ooh. That made sense. But they didn't know who Master was, or even if they were there! How could he 'get ahold' of them, and how did he know they were female? "I've finally found who she is. Remember the persistent blue eyed girl you found at the gate?"

"Yeah."

"That's her."

Taito gawked at his superior. He had thrown _Master_ against the wall? Ohoho, maybe he was stronger than he thought. But, really? She was so scrawny! What powers could she possibly have? The power to cry like a baby? The power to seduce loli-loving creeps? He inwardly laughed at the latter.

The Red One placed his strong hands on Taito's shoulders, looking firmly down at him. "I want her here by next Tuesday. Do not, I repeat, do _not_ harm her. And make sure no one else comes tagging along. Is that clear?" he commanded, jabbing his index finger. Taito nodded, and his leader smiled approvingly.

"Now that that's settled," he smirked, "why don't you go up to bed? I'll call over my servants for myself."

Thank god.


	19. Chapter 19

AN;; Sorry for the really long wait. _ I was busy, okay? Anyway, this chapter is EXTREMELY long. I swear, it's the longest thing I've ever written. It's about 3k words or so. Yeah. So, uh, grab some popcorn and sit tight for the show?

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 19

"Hey, Teto!" she called, raising her hand to her face. "Found anything yet?" Her light brown hair fluttered in the lingering breeze, a familiar ratty cloak draped over her shoulders. She was kneeling over a pile of crumbling sticks, some with shriveled leaves clinging to them. It had been a bit of a hassle to collect them all _and_ hold on to her cloak. But, hey, she had managed it. And now she was waiting for Teto to grab their dinner.

What? What's with the surprised face? Oh, you haven't heard about their little meeting? Well, it went a little something like this:

_She was running, fast as her legs could carry her. Cheeks ablaze with embarrassment and exhaustion. The wind tugged at her clothes and hair, throwing it this way and that. Oh god oh god oh god. She just couldn't believe she had said that. 'I love you'. It was so overused and meaningless. Knowing Kaito, he would probably densely think that she loved him as a friend. Er, she did, didn't she? Well, she was safe for now._

_She paused, heaving, with her hands gripping her knees. Her surroundings were strange and foreign, the grass oddly brittle and dotted with large, dusty bald patches. Where-Where _was_ she? She recognized nothing, nothing at all. She had no idea at all where she was. Oh god. What if Kaito couldn't find her? What if she was trapped alone in the wilderness forever? Never being able to escape or die. Hungry, thirsty, tired. It was too horrible to imagine. She shut it out of her mind._

_She suddenly heard giggling from the bushes. "Oh, oh french breeeeaaaad. Come heeeere," it whispered. "Come heeeeeeerreee." What the─! French bread? Who was this? She peered over the shrubbery, only to find a pink haired girl, locks twisted into large drills, curled up on the dirt. Her face was smeared and her top and skirt rather ragged. Her headset was bent and a dull shade of silver, and her boots were dented in several places. What had happened to her...?_

"_Uhm, hello?" Mari said awkwardly, staring at the grimy child. She stirred, and lifted her dusty head, grinning carelessly. She had an innocent air about her, and Mari felt a pang of pity. What had happened to make the girl look like that? Had she been kicked out as well? Would Mari look like that after a while? The thought frightened her, and she began to chew her lip._

_The girl held out her dirt encrusted hand and widened her smile. "Hullo! I'm Teto," she giggled. Mari returned the handshake uncomfortably, trembling. The hand was warm, firm. Teto gripped to her heart's content, much to Mari's dismay. The two girls exchanged enthusiastic greetings and names, and it really wasn't all that bad. Teto turned out to be a cute little twelve year old with a love for mischief. She had a crush on Gakupo, at which Mari scoffed. _

"_Gakupo's nothing but a cocky wimp," Mari declared, snorting. She was seated on a large, flat topped boulder, her elbow on her knee and her hand gripping her cheek. _

" I_ think he's cute," Teto frowned defensively. She, on the other hand, was on the grass, sitting cross legged with her hands grasping the ground._

"_In a pedo-ish sort of way, I guess," she shrugged._

"_H-Hey! Well, he's pretty funny...?"_

"_When he's not being a doofus. Which is around 95% of the time."_

"_Well, uhhhh, Len's, uhm, a shota."_

"_And? I knew that already. Rin's the only one who can put up with his girly-ness," Mari grinned._

"_So...Who do you like?" Teto prodded playfully, leaning closer._

"_E-Eh? Ah, uhm, nobody..."_

"_Spit it out!"_

_Mari clenched her fists. "Kaito, alright?" she snapped._

_Teto began to laugh loudly, tears brimming her eyes as she rocked back and forth. Mari's face burned scarlet._

_Well, she _did_like him. He was cute, sweet, he comforted her, cared for her. Even if he did have a strong love for ice cream. She cared about him anyway. He was like a big, squishy teddy bear, she smiled fondly. _

_Teto dragged Mari away after a bit to VocaUTAU Central. She took her around the back of the structure, and nimbly slipped through the fence. Above their heads was a large window, where a blond Vocaloid would occasionally put a chicken down on, or perhaps fling murky kitchen water out of. Soon, some far off voice called out 'Sweet Ann!', and the woman vanished. Teto utilized this precious moment by seizing the chicken sitting on the sill, squeezing Mari's wrist, and dashing away._

"_You stole?" Mari inquired, after they had reached the safety of the rock and bushes once again. _

"_Your point?" Teto raised an eyebrow, flopping the fleshy chicken on the ground._

"_I have no home," the pink haired girl stated. "Us Vipperloids─that's what the others called us─don't belong anywhere. Well, maybe with the UTAUs, but they don't want anything to do with us. I mean, we're_ fakes_."_

_Mari hadn't known what to say after that. So she politely changed the subject, snatching sticks here and there. Eventually they were laughing once again, poking at the crackling fire in front of them. And they ate the chicken once it was ready. It really was delicious, and although Mari did feel fairly guilty for stealing, it was food, and she needed to eat. _

_Once she was curled up in the cave, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Teto. And, in a way, she could relate. Being rejected just because of who you are, and a few rather important toes you trodded on. Soon, she smiled, hot tears sliding down her cheeks. She wasn't alone after all. Teto was there. Even if she didn't have Gumi and Rin and sweet ol' Kaito, she still had a friend to confide in. And that was definitely something to be grateful for._

_She had woken up the next morning, refreshed and quite ready to begin the day. She and Teto had eaten berries for breakfast, swam in a nearby creek, eaten fish for lunch (Teto had stolen a rod beforehand), and chatted a bit. They hadn't talked about Teto's past since the day before, and chose to leave behind them._

And that was pretty much it. Mari grinned and stretched, yawning loudly. Boy, was she tired. As soon as she had gobbled down some dinner, she was going straight to bed. She didn't think she could stay awake much longer. The sun was especially warm that day, which didn't help her situation either. She clutched the bundle of sticks close, and began to walk back to the cave.

Once she was just outside of it, Mari dropped the sticks and arranged them into a pile. "Teto!" she called again, standing up and peering across the path. "Where are you?" She raised her hand to her forehead to block out the sunlight as she searched for her friend. Soon, a cherry headed girl came bounding up the road, clutching a small turkey. A smile played on her lips.

Said girl (which Mari knew to be Teto) walked right up to the rather messy collection of sticks, and plopped the skimpy turkey about a foot to the right. She then snapped her fingers. A tiny fire flickered on her thumb, and she set the branches aflame. It was soon large and hot and a wonderful mash-mosh of orange and red, and crackled happily, as most fires do. They cooked the turkey once the fire was ripe enough, burning it to a pleasant golden brown.

It was then divided up between the two girls, with the scraps left to rot in a nearby bush. They ate generously. The food, while it wasn't seasoned, was still quite savory and delicious. Mari dismissed her previous worries of hunger and thirst with a wry smile. With Teto, it _did_ seem like hamburgers and such grew on trees. Thank god she had met her. Who knows what horrors she would have gone through if she hadn't?

Gulping the last of it down, Mari suddenly felt the actual weight of exhaustion as it toppled over onto her. She stumbled unsteadily at first, taken aback by the pressure. She then righted herself, yawned rather loudly, and called to Teto that she was going to 'hit the sack'. She clamored back into the musty cave, and curled up on a patch of moss. She had only been here a short time, and yet it was already starting to feel familiar. Fondly, she recalled her days at VocaUTAU Central. She had only lived there for, what, a week? A week and a half? And yet it had felt like a second home. No, not even a second home. A first home. She could barely remember her real home.

She, coming to her senses, realized that fat tears were slopping down her cheeks, and she was sobbing loudly. Teto was prodding her shoulder, asking her politely if everything was alright. Mari nodded in reply, wiping away the unwelcome tears hastily. Ugh, how awkward.

But for a moment there, she swore she could hear his voice, whispering words of comfort. Ringing like a bell in the fog. "Master, don't worry. We believe in you!" And she found herself smiling in spite of it all. Grinning at the now faraway boy who had helped to turn her life upside-down. The other culprit was his brother, Akai-whatever, but she didn't really want to think about him. After all, essentially, she was supposed to _kill_ him. And she'd rather not think of the gruesome details. She didn't want nightmares or anything.

So, sighing, she drifted off into sleep.

_He was so near to her, his face centimeters from hers. She could feel his hot breath puffing on her skin, sending shivers up her spine. Her heart was pounding in her throat. Barrump, barrump, as most hearts do (when they're excited, that is!). She could distantly feel her back pressed up against the wall, her wrists grasped by his strong palms. But she was numb. And it all felt like a wild blur._

_And then someone snatched her away. Him too. A shadowy form, with the only distinctive detail being its sharp, glowing blue eyes. And yet, somehow, it looked so familiar. But she didn't have time to worry about that. Because then the form turned to her, eyes piercing. And then it drew nearer, as if to swallow her up─_

"Mari!" shouted a high, squeaky voice. "Mari, wake up!" It shattered the silence of her sleep, snapped the bliss in two. She found her eyes opening at once, to see the storm outside the entrance of the cave, and the dark figure that lurked within it. Teto was nearby, standing with her finger pointed toward the masked person, whoever they may be. "Th-There's someone..." She didn't need to finish the sentence.

Mari sat up, hands gripping the dirt. And she saw him walk in, arms swinging loosely. A scowl on his narrow, rather gaunt face. His violet hair was plastered to his skin, along with his dark hoodie and jeans. Not to mention his drenched cup of Starbucks. She recognized him immediately, much to her horror. It was Taito.

She was frozen to the spot. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Taito was scary as is. At least with other people around, he could be caught. But here, where there were no people for miles, they didn't stand a chance. He could do whatever he liked, and they didn't have a chance against him. She felt the same hopeless feeling from when she had been exiled drown her once again, weighing her down like a 50 pound dumbbell.

After that, it all became a rapid blur. Taito and Teto somehow ended up fighting. She gave it her all, and _really_, she wasn't bad, but he was stronger. He was swifter. He had the upper hand. Mari had known it from the start. Soon the french bread loving, cherry twindrilled girl was sprawled on the ground, a black liquid leaking out of her mouth. Her eyes fluttered, she gave one last cheery smile, and she was gone. Dead. Somewhere Mari couldn't ever reach her.

She stared down at the body for a moment. Wondering how, why. The girl had never really done anything wrong, had she? All the others had pretty much disowned her. She was an outcast wherever she went. And just when she had found something to live for, bam! She's whisked away to wherever dead Vocaloids go. Gone from the Database, forever.

"Masterrr..."

Never coming back.

"Masterrr..."

Never.

"Come on, little girl..."

And it was all _his_ fault!

She felt a rage enter her, unlike any she had ever felt before. Burning, merciless, fury. She trembled with it as she stared down at her friend's corpse. How could he do this? How could he just murder her friend, and then─was he _laughing_? Laughing, of all things!After someone had just _died_ at his hands. That's terrible! How-how dare him.

She turned to face him, eyes burning. Shoulders quivering from the sheer power of her rage. Her nails dug hard into her palms, and they stung sharply. But she didn't care. Teto hadn't, and she had sustained greater, so why should she? Breathing roughly, she drew closer to the horrible man, aiming to punch him or perhaps swing a kick. She felt her fist hit his face and grinned. Right in the nose, to her satisfaction. Blood stained her knuckles.

But his monochrome face soon twisted into something strange, and far more frightening. His bored frown widened to a smirk so wide it rather resembled the Cheshire Cat's. His eyes glowed with malice and the desire for fresh bloodshed, the purple irises swimming with red. The scarlet blood dribbled down his pale face, slipping into his mouth where the madness played, and sliding right out again, dripping from his chin to the cave floor. She found herself backing away, in spite of her new-found defiance. This guy was scary. What would he do to her? Considering he had just murdered without a problem, her mind whirled with dreadful images, each flashing by her eyes at an alarming rate.

Taito stepped closer as she attempted to slip away. He grasped her chin with his bony, bandaged hand, smirking disgustingly. "Did silly old Master try to escape?" he teased, voice an eerie whisper. "I suppose I'll have to teach her a lesson..." A-a lesson? What was he going to do to her? Would he kill her? Rape her? Or worse? Her heart pounded roughly, her breath brisk. This was all a dream, all a dream. Just a terrible nightmare. Soon she would wake up to Teto giggling about how late she awoke, and handing her some delicious berries. But somehow she just couldn't convince herself.

Soon he had her pinned against the wall. He raised his hand, complete with sharp, grimy fingernails, and Mari began to cry. Tears brimmed her round, blue eyes, spilling out without warning. He, however, was unphased. In fact, he seemed even more eager than before. He drew down his hand, aiming to dig his slicing nails into her skin, and perhaps cause a red mark or some crimson to teem out. She screamed through her tears.

She expected him to gloss over her cries of protest, as if she were an animal to be killed for profit or gain. What she did not expect was for another person to appear, knocking her tormenter to the side. His hair was sopping wet as well, but it was colored a deep royal blue. And his coat was long and white with gold and blue trim. She knew that face anywhere. But what was he doing there?

"What are you doing to Master?" he asked, eyes narrowing. Taito simply grinned and licked the blood on his lips.

"Just, ah, _introducing_ myself," the violet man replied. He brushed off his damp hoodie nonchalantly.

"I thought you'd already met," was his retort.

"Yes," Taito agreed delicately. "But we didn't get to know each other. I was hoping to have a nice meeting with her."

The blue haired man snorted. "I would have thought that bump on her head was enough." He gestured toward her head, which she had recently taken the bandage off of. It was still slightly swollen, and a scar was visible.

Taito didn't respond. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and stood there for a moment, staring at the ground. Then he nodded vaguely. "Go, get her out of here," he voice after a moment. Suddenly the ground began to shake, and pebbles rained on the entrance of the cave. "Go!" He seemed frantic, eyes wide once again, and finger jabbing at the fleeting opening.

The blue haired man grabbed her, and dashed out. Taito lingered. He smiled softly, giving them a little wave. They were safe outside in the rain. But he was still inside. "Tell Kiku that I love her," he said, voice barely audible, "and that I'll see her again soon." From there, Mari could see the boulders on top of the cavern. Something had happened, and they were crumbling and falling down to obscure the only door. Soon the den was completely blocked, trapping the lavender Fanmade inside. All was silent, save for the beating of the rain and the pounding of the two remaining's hearts.

"Kaito," Mari said hoarsely, tears forming once again. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing it all to be a dream. An awful, albeit realistic, dream. But no, it wasn't. It was real. She had just witnessed two deaths, one of a close friend, and one of someone who she wasn't sure what they were, although she was inclined to dislike them. She wasn't sure where she was, what she would do, what had already happened.

She was just so...confused.

Kaito smiled sadly, stepping closer and enfolding her in his arms. They stood like that in the rain, tears running down their faces.

"I know."

AN; Reviews are highly appreciated, and I might even thank you in an Author's Note. Also, feel free to suggest Fanmades for me to use in the story, whether they're your own or just ones you saw on the internet. ^^


	20. Chapter 20

AN;; Holy _crap_ guys. I mean... o_o This thing has been sitting around since May. That's just... I apologize for taking so long (working on an awesome new fic that will be posted when it's finished), and here's the long awaited Chapter 20. Rewrites of earlier chapters may or may not turn up, depending on how well I can budget my time.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 20

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a bright blue. There was a sleepy look on her face, and she yawned, stretching and rubbing at her eyes. Once she had confirmed that she was awake, she was able to absorb her surroundings. The first thing she happened to notice was that a certain male's arms were wrapped around her. She was leaning on his (clothed!) chest. Blushing profusely, she attempted to wriggle out of his grasp. However, this only made him grip harder. She was trapped in her crush's warm, muscular─Ack! Stop, please.─arms. While she had in fact dreamed of this, he hadn't been asleep and she had been facing him. This was just plain awkward. She breathed in sharply.

The second thing she noticed was the setting. The backdrop, if you will, to her play of an existence. The sky was a soft, milky color. Not quite blue but not quite gray either. The sun was a mere lens flare in the distance. The grass was dry and brittle, and it was dotted with bald patches of dirt. Sometimes you might spot a dandelion or two, but it was mostly grass and dirt and pebbles. The sort of lawn you would see from someone who bothered to mow but didn't care enough to plant flowers or lay down fertilizer. There were trees, of course. They were spindly and twisted and winded this way and that, often mingling with each other. They were of a darker wood, and their leaves ranged from green to dark red. Said leaves littered the ground, giving it a scenic feel, though the place was far from it.

Kaito shifted, resting his chin on her head. She ducked in surprise, and his eyes flew open. "Wha-?" he yawned groggily. Then, noticing vaguely that he was clinging to Mari as if she were a teddy bear, released her. She gasped in relief. He laughed. "G'morning, Mas─er, Mari."

" Mo-ahhhhh," she yawned in reply. God, she was just so tired. What had she been doing last night? And why was Kaito─ohh. Right. She knew. She remembered why she was so tired. Why one of her few remaining friends was seated nearby. Why a sudden sadness had landed on her shoulders, weighing her down. "Kaito, what exactly happened last night?" she voiced, willing it not to be true.

" All I know is that you were fighting Taito and a dead girl was lying on the ground. Then I saved you. But the cave collapsed in a rock slide," he recited solemnly. The air felt think with uneasiness, and Mari shivered. So it was real. It was true. It hadn't been a terrible nightmare, as much as she wished she could believe that. Teto was her friend, and she was dead. Taito, who she didn't exactly hate (she couldn't place why), but was far from friendly with, was also dead. He had murdered one of her closest friends. And now all she had was Kaito.

"He's dead..." Mari whispered, trailing off. "And so is Teto." She felt the tears brim at her eyes once again, clouding her vision. They were gone, forever. It didn't matter how she felt about Taito, what questions she'd like to ask him, he was nothing. And his last words were to tell 'his Kiku' that he'd see her again soon. What, was he going to visit her as a ghost? Or perhaps he'd have her murdered, which was much more gruesome. And then...Teto. She was gone as well. Born an outcast, and died one as well. A horrible fate. But at least she had a friend to smile at as she passed, rather than dying cold and alone.

"Taito killed her," she said through her tears. "She was just trying to protect herself, and me as well, but he killed her. A-and..." Mari began to sob once again, burying her face in her hands. Why? Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't he have killed someone else instead? Not Mari, no. As much as her conscience would adore substituting her, she needed to get rid of Akaito and do something about the virus. Dying would surely get in the way of that.

"You know, if he hadn't done that, she might've lived forever," Kaito said weakly, placing a hand of comfort on Mari's shoulder. "Vocaloids can only die by file deletion and violence. Hunger and thirst will do nothing to us. But Teto is happier now, I guess. She has all the things she loves most. Er, what would those be?"

Mari grinned wearily. It seemed almost, nostalgic. Thinking of Teto and their little adventures. It had only been for a few days, sure, but the sort of way they lived meant that they became very close. Gathering food, chatting about little things, curling up to bed on a patch of moss in the cave. Smiling in spite of all the tragedies, she answered him, "French bread. She also had a crush on Gakupo." It felt rather strange telling these things to Kaito, but she didn't mind. If it made her tears disappear, she was all for it.

"Gakupo, eh?" Kaito grinned. "So she likes eggplant on her french bread?"

Mari blushed and giggled, feeling rather like a foolish schoolgirl, but cheered up nonetheless. The comment seemed innocent enough, of course. But if you looked deeply enough into it, it was quite the opposite. She, having a mind that was for the most part outside of the perverted gutter, laughed softly at the part that she understood.

"Hey Kaito," Mari began, having a sudden spur of the moment, "remember when I arrived here?" Hm, she had gone a bit off topic. But she was feeling quite a bit happier, and she didn't want to return to crying and feeling depressed. Teto wouldn't have wanted that, she was sure. So, as outgoing folk like she often did, the girl known from time to time as Master spouted a little idea that had popped into her mind. What, she nodded inwardly, was the harm in it?

Kaito smiled widely. "How could I forget? It was an average Saturday at first, but then you came bounding up the road, with little Rin and Len by your side. I was on gate duty, and boy was I lucky to have that day, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten to meet you. I was confused when you had no files, but now I'm more grateful for that than ever." He, like usual, did not elaborate on why, but Mari disregarded that.

"And then I met Miku and Luka and all the others," she continued, nodding. "And Gakupo figured out why I have no files and told me to make a song, or else he'd do something awful to me."

"Which you passed with flying colors," Kaito agreed. He smiled fondly at the memory. "And then you devoured your cake."

"H-Hey! It's not like I'm obsessed with it or anything," she protested, prodding him in the side.

"Whatever you say..."

She frowned wryly and crossed her arms. Well, she wasn't! She just loved it. A lot. But she wouldn't die if she was denied cake.

" Then Gumi took me to that haunted house of a room, where I had not one, but two nightmares. Before finding you prowling around, of course," Mari shot back playfully, rolling her eyes.

"I was told to bring you to the control room!" he said defensively.

"Oh, sure. Explain why that couldn't wait until morning."

"I wanted to watch you sleep," was his answer. He was so honest with her, and so naive. It was crazy. Did he even realize the nature of what he had just stated so plainly? It could seem so stalkerish, so creepy. And yet, somehow, she found it quite the opposite. Sweet, endearing. And then Gakupo's mention of (ahhh, what was it?) Canta-something or other crossed her mind. But it didn't horrify her like it had previously. In fact, him pining over her silently and watching from afar made a fierce blush come to her cheeks.

"A-anyways..." she cut in, fumbling with the hem of her shirt. "Then Miku kidnapped me during the night and Gakupo told me all about some message from Creator."

Kaito nodded. "Yeah, that's what they wanted me to do with you. But then I fell asleep, and ahhh, you know the rest. Just remember, Gakupo's translation has a lot of missing and mistranslated parts in it, so our current version could be very inaccurate. You have to take it with a grain of salt."

"Alright. How come it didn't say who wrote it at the bottom? It just had a few question marks," Mari blinked.

"That's because we haven't figured out that bit yet. So! That night, you wandered into my room, claiming that you had an awful nightmare, and fell asleep on my bed," he stated, stretching his arms and yawning sleepily. His indigo hair was ruffled and there was a slight twinkle in his round eyes. "You looked cute."

Mari's cheeks burned an impossible shade of red. "A-Ah, thanks, I guess..." She ducked her head awkwardly, unsure how to respond or continue. She settled by giving a slight nod and changing the topic. "Then, uhhh, you acted really cold and ignored me in the morning. Why'd you do that?"

He frowned, wetting his lips. It seemed as if he would rather not answer, but he did soon enough. "I noticed something weird about you, and wanted to stay away," was his _oh so gentlemanly_ reply.

"The virus..."

"Yep."

She breathed in and out, smiling weakly. So that's why he ignored her. Not because he hated her, no. Nor because he was worried, or anxious. No, it was because he hadn't known what was wrong with her, and therefore feared her. Or rather, whatever was taking over her, which happened to be the virus. She shivered.

Then, she began to laugh. It started as a chuckle, then a giggle, then a full out guffaw. Soon she was doubled over, tears sliding down her cheeks. Her insides shook, her mind whirred. Her stomach ached from it, and she was unable to breathe. Choking, laughing so very hard. And then it became a sob, loud and desperate and hopeless.

Kaito stared at her, blinking. He then drew close, wrapping his arms around her, enveloping her trembling form. "It's okay," he whispered, trying to comfort his Master. "It's all okay." He stroked her back, fingered her thin hair. "Don't worry," he murmured, "I'm here."

But she only cried harder. "I can't do this. I can't. I'm sick of the virus, of Akaito, of having my friends killed and hurt." She clung to him like a small child. Weak, helpless. She...couldn't...

Then she realized how silly this all was. They were data. Not people, not even living beings. Just scrambled numbers on a computer screen. They were like holograms to her, as she was real. She wasn't just data. So why would they matter to her? So why, she smiled suddenly, should she care? It's not as if they lived, so they could never die. Their data would remain forever.

And the virus? A couple of temp deletions and runs of Malwarebytes would kick that thing out on its butt, no questions asked. Akaito would be as simple as throwing his sorry face into the recycling bin. It was hard to believe it was this simple, after all the anxiety, all the stress, all the tears. There was no point for all of that. No real reason. She couldn't believe it had taken her this long to realize that.

"W-why didn't I realize before..." Mari murmured, trailing off. "Why didn't I realize that it was so _simple_?" She had gotten so wrapped up in everything, so tangled in emotions. It's not good to think on a clouded mind. So she let the air out. And suddenly, all was clear to her. All was clear.

Kaito continued to stroke her head in comfort. "What's so simple?" he said softly. His breath was hot on her head, and she couldn't help but blush.

"This," Mari replied, leaning away from him. "The virus, Akaito. If only I had administrator permissions..." She didn't even need to finish. The idea was clear enough. If she had the options, she could easily get rid of the virus.

He stared at her, blue eyes dimming ever so slightly, drooping. His lip trembled. "Ah," he said, "but how would you get them? It's not as if Creator could grant you the needed powers." He hadn't told Mari this, but she wasn't a 'god' so much as a 'missing link'. But they treated her like a god, simply because she was the highest they could reach. Her thoughts, according to what they knew, went directly to Creator. Whereever he or she may be.

"Th-that's true," Mari said in realization. The idea made perfect sense, except for one crucial point. She didn't have the power to _affect_ the computer. If she had been on the outside, oh sure, she could have done it. But from the inside she was powerless. Had the creator of the virus planned this? She wondered silently.

All was quiet for a bit. No voices, only the rustling of the leaves, the scattered trees. The hiss of the wind. It was cooling, spine chilling. Even sitting close by each other, both Mari and Kaito shuddered from the cold.

But someone finally spoke, making the wind quiet, the air warm _ever so slightly_, the leaves cease their rustling, the breath still its rhythm.

"I know one thing that we can beat it with," Kaito said, smiling. Seeing Mari's tilted head, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. They stayed like that for a moment, melding together.

"Because doubt is just as strong of a bond as certainty."

AN;; Um, so yeah. I honestly have no idea how often I'll update this from here on out. I'll _try_ to work harder, but I'm honestly not as in love with the plot as I used to be. Hmm...


	21. Chapter 21

AN;; I did promise, didn't I? C: I'm picking this up again. Enjoy this next chapter. It's a tad short, but it introduces some new characters and develops current ones a bit.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 21

Another new dawn sounded, bright and innocent as any. Pink, impish light danced across the sky, brought on by the magnificent rising sun. It yawned and stretched as if it were a lion, roaring in the new day. But of course it was silent, the only sounds being the frantic chirping of birds and the gentle rustle in the trees. A morning like any other.

But it was _not_ a morning like any other. Because today, Mari would meet everyone. The ones who would partake in the plan; her _supporters_, for lack of a better word. They would all be here soon, crowding and bustling and chatting amongst themselves. She couldn't wait. Thinking of Rin and Len, Gumi, Kaiko... And knowing that every one of them was with her and wouldn't leave. Unless they died, and she would do all she could to stop such a thing.

Mari was lying in a sleeping bag. It was a cheap red one, but it did its job. Lying next to her was a blue one, occupied by Kaito. In his sleep he had snuggled close to her and wrapped his arms around her. At first she had blushed profusely, but now it was almost comforting, relaxing. Well, besides the fact that he was snoring rather loudly in her ear.

"Hnn, ice," she heard him murmur groggily. "Mmm..."

Mari giggled softly, unable to resist. He did have quite the attachment to ice cream and ice in general.

Kaito's eyes shot open at once, awake. Whoops, he's a light sleeper. "Yes?" he said, alert. Mari supposed all that time of being a guard had trained him to wake up that way. Otherwise you get people sneaking in, and _doing things_. Criminal things, maybe. Stealing, killing... No, it wasn't surprising. Not in the least. "Ah, sorry about that," he smiled, letting go of her.

"S'okay," she said, waving it off. The two sat up, breathing in the air of the new day. And it was a new day, in more ways than one. Too many to count, really. Life was a blank slate, a fresh sheet of paper. And she would pen a song onto it.

A few moments passed. Then laughter could be heard, loud footsteps. And then, slipping through the gnarled trees were two very familiar faces. Wait, make that three. No, four, five... After a bit it seemed more like ten.

"Guys!" Mari shouted, smile widening. There they all stood, like a rainbow of people. Rin, grinning wide, Len, shying away, a confident Gumi, a ball-jointed Miki, a businesslike Luka, a beaming Haku and Neru, a woman with long blond hair, arms crossed, a young, pig tailed, girl, and a man who looked rather like a teacher. "I missed you..." Mari said, tears nearly gathering in her eyes.

A feeling filled her, one warm and heavy. Seeing all these faces, both new and old... She honestly just didn't know what to say.

" Ohoho, what happened_ here_?" Rin joked, gesturing toward Mari. "Your sleeping bags are pretty close." Mari blushed immediately, edging away from Kaito. "Ha, relax, I was just joking. So how have you been, Master?"

It was odd being called Master again. Quite odd. Mari didn't exactly know how to react. Kaito had been calling her 'Mari'. Teto (the thought of her still made Mari uncomfortable, but...) had called her Mari. She hadn't been called Master in a while. It reminded her of her days back in VocaUTAU Central. But, while she couldn't go back there, almost all the people who she had cared about were here. Almost, but that was all she needed.

"I've been alright, I suppose. I've had Queen Frostine here to keep me company, after all," Mari replied. They laughed. It was such a typical thing. Such an ordinary thing. In fact, Mari may not be in an imaginary field inside a computer with robots at all. She might be in a school, or at the mall, or anywhere for that matter. It was such an average little thing.

"Sounds fun," Gumi spoke up. She was still a shy girl, but now that she didn't tail after Gakupo, she was much more independent. It was a remarkable thing. "I was stuck with Plumpy over in VocaUTAU Central." More laughs.

"But, ah, I'm sorry," Mari said suddenly, standing up. She walked up to the blond woman, the little girl, and the teacher. "Who are you?"

The blond woman (who had looked annoyed to start with), flipped her hair and glanced away. "I'm _Lily_. I would think Master, of all people, would know my name." Her blue eyes were narrowed, mouth flicked downward.

The teacher spoke next. "Ah, I'm sorry. She's a tad... My name is Kiyoteru. I run the elementary division in VocaUTAU Central's school." Well, no wonder he had looked like a teacher! He actually looked very modest. Brushed dark brown hair, dark eyes. A plain, friendly face. He wore a suit of sorts. Very bland looking (and sounding), but friendly.

"And I'm Yuki," came the third voice. Mari looked down at the girl, who was pouting cutely. "I'm seven years old, you know. Mr. Kiyo came into class one day, saying that he was gonna stop Mr. Akaito. But I wanted to help!" She was a young girl, shining eyes and pigtailed brown hair. Plump blushing cheeks. She wore a simple dress and a decorated red bookbag. Mari did all she could not to squeal.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Lily, Kiyoteru, and Yuki," Mari said politely, shaking hands with the three of them. And it was, she supposed. They were pleasant people. Well, if you want to be technical, they were robots. But all the same. She looked forward to working with them. It sounded a rather wooden thing to say, though. Like a canned response. But what else could she say?

"Now," Kaito said loudly. "We'll just go over the ambush plan. Hopefully they'll remain oblivious; the element of surprise is important." He seemed like such a natural leader. And everyone looked at Gakupo! Really, Kaito had the bravery and speaking skills of someone a couple times his age. Of course, that was only Mari's opinion. But she thought it made sense, and who am I to disagree, being a simple narrator?

Kaito stepped onto a raise in the ground, waiting for the chatter to subside. And it did. Soon everyone was looking straight at him, silent and stone-faced. He smiled and motioned Mari forward. Right, she was Master. She had a rather large part in this. Blue eyes shining, he began.

"We'll set out tomorrow, an hour before dawn. We'll go about half the way, and then separate into groups of two, each going their own way to Fanmade Central. Me going with Mari would seem too obvious, as would her going with Gumi, Rin, or Len. So she'll go with Lily ("Damn, that brat?" Lily complained softly). The rest of us will choose our own partners, alright?

"We won't be arriving directly at Fanmade Central, but instead at the 'turtle' building. You all know what I mean by that. Once I give the signal, we'll sneak in. Disturb no one, and if you do, tell them you're a new Fanmade. You'll all be wearing disguises, dressed up as new Fanmades. They shouldn't be able to tell.

"Once we get to the castle, raid it. If a guard finds you, fight them. If one of Akaito's ladies finds you, well, it depends. We'll distract all of the guards, _every single one_, so that when Mari goes up to delete Akaito, he'll be alone. Mari, I'm sure you know what to do. Show no mercy."

And he finished, folding his hands and waiting patiently for a response. And the response was a cheer, booming and impossibly loud for such a small group. No questions were asked; everyone just accepted his words as fact. Even Mari had no qualms. Well, except for one. But that wasn't a problem with his _plan_, per say, but more the deed itself. As in, she wasn't sure how to _delete_ Akaito. Delete was such a nice way to describe it too. It really was the Vocaloid equivalent of 'kill'.

As everyone broke up and began to talk amongst themselves, Mari approched Kaito.

"Um, I've got a question," she said nervously. Both hands gripped, blue eyes directed downward. She wet her lips. "I'm not sure how I should do it. You know, _deleting_ him." She accepted that he wasn't human. So technically the guilt of killing shouldn't apply. And yet... It did. She didn't_ want_ to end another's life, regardless if it was actual 'life' or not. It still felt wrong, morally wrong, despite the technicalities. Earlier it had seemed like a faraway dream. Of _course_ she was going to do it. In the future. But now the moment was nearly upon her. It was closing in on her.

"Afraid, are you?" It was not a taunt, as a line like that usually would be. But rather, an observation. A statement. And a correct one at that, Mari frowned. Kaito sighed. "It's alright. It's only natural to feel that way. I mean, I wish there was another way of ending this. He's my brother, I don't want him to die. But as of now, this is the only way." Mari looked into his eyes. For a moment, they seemed hollow, empty. Only for a moment. But then they were back to normal. He wore a typical, comforting smile. "So just do your best, alright?"

And, not having any other way to reply, she simply nodded.

"Tomorrow," Mari murmured, "is the day I fix this."

AN;; Next one will be out as soon as possible. I don't know how soon possible is, but it'll be out then.


	22. Chapter 22

AN;; Hey, so yeah. Here's Chapter 22. Some nice development. Kind of short. The real action comes next chapter, don't worry. c:

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 22

Night finally came, as it always does. Everything grew dark and cool, and stars soon dotted the sky. They had dinner then. It was a warm dinner, fish and rice and soup for the main course. Delicious and toasty. Then cake for dessert. Mari was delighted as she gulped down the sweet velvet wonder. The sweet, delicious wonder. They all talked, laughed, shared their experiences. It was great, and really enjoyable. Soon the meal ended, as it always does, and they separated into smaller groups to converse.

"Yeah, I kissed him!" Mari said boldly, grinning. She reached a hand to her face. A modest blush, one might say. "Three times, ha."

Rin gasped, nearly doubling back in shock. She was grinning as well. "Wow! I wish I could get that far..." she replied, clutching her chest dramatically. She gazed off to the side at Len, who was chatting enthusiastically with Lily.

Gumi looked surprised, and pleased. "Three times? Wow, I'm impressed."

Mari felt a hand on her shoulder suddenly, and glanced up. It was Kaito. He was smiling down at her, and she gasped and blushed profusely. "Telling them about our relationship, huh?" he said casually. She looked down, twiddled her fingers, and mumbled 'um's and 'uh's. He turned her around suddenly and planted a peck on her lips. It was gentle, sweet, and brief. She felt her heart skip a beat. Then they broke away. "There. Now they know it's not just a lie." Hugging her, he walked away to join the others.

Rin and Gumi then burst out laughing, patting Mari on the shoulder through their giggles. She was sheepish, but happy. This was family. This was happiness. This was what love should be. They conversed for a while more, before departing for bed. Mari was tired, and near collapsing.

Kaito managed to find her again, and approached her. "Tired, I see," he remarked. "Come on, let's go to bed." She, dizzy from sleepiness, nodded. And they were soon cuddled up in their sleeping bags once again. And once again, they were _very _close. Mari fell asleep content, full, and feeling loved.

There was a scream, an explosion of noise. So loud that it made her ears positively burn. Ache, with the sound. She stared ahead, helpless. A fire was burning, large, reds and oranges and yellows galore. The sky was an empty black. The ground was brittle and charred. The horizon glowed a foreboding greens. Police, ambulance, and fire engine sirens blared in the distance. Everything carried the air of disaster, everything. And she was absolutely powerless, unable to do a thing, while people ran past her desperately. Some elderly, some young, some clutching children in their scorched and bruised arms.

Chaos, to put it simply. And there she was, in the midst of it, frozen. Her clothes were bright and shiny new, in contrast to everyone else's torn, burned, and stained rags. She had no visible cuts or bruises. She was perfect. Absolutely positively _fine_, darn it. And it enraged her more than anything.

But then something rose out of the fire. A man, tousling red hair, gleaming crimson eyes. A billowing white coat pulled neatly onto him. He was grinning so widely and proudly and it sickened her. Those shiny white canines _sickened her_. But she couldn't do a thing about it. As it was, she was paralyzed, petrified, frozen. Whatever you want to call it. But what was the most horrible, the most _sickening_, was the group of people beneath him, crouching and huddling in the shadow of the fire.

They were the Vocaloids. Kaito, Meiko, Miku, Rin, Len, Gumi... They were in brown, patched rags, skin stained with dirt and bleeding. They were the UTAUs. Defoko, Momo, Teto... They apparently weren't 'good enough' for rags. They were wearing towels. _Towels_! And _cardboard_!_ And trash_! Ripped and rotting, and they barely hid and warmed their skin. They were the Fanmades. Yes, his own _people_ for crying out loud. Hachune, Nurse Mouya, Gakuko, Luki, Meito... They were 'good enough' to wear their set outfits, but they were ripped and frayed, and smeared with dirt and dried blood.

Akaito, apparently unsatisfied with the current catastrophic scene, descended. He seemed to fly, to soar in the night air, down toward her. And suddenly everything had disappeared. The fire, the crowds, the pitiful familiars, everything. They were left, hovering, in a sea of blackness. No stars lit the way. No moon illuminated their faces. There was simply the two and them, and nothing else. Two floating figures and that was it.

His face was malicious, narrowed eyes and a horrible smirk. Blood seemed to gleam on his freshly sharpened canines. Oh, she hated it so. _Hates it so freaking much_. And yet his resemblance to Kaito was remarkable. The same handsome face, the same gorgeous eyes (though they were stained that awful red), the same silky hair. And as much as she despised him, she found herself loving him at the same time. His wonderful, deep voice vibrated through her soul. She trembled and blushed. Breaking, she was breaking...

"I'd like to have a word with you, _Master_," he said. S-so wonderful... She hated it! She hated it so very much. She hated it, she loved it with all of her being. _Hate_, but love so much. "If you can find the time in your _oh so busy_ schedule." His words were sarcastic, biting. They hurt like knives and she thought she would wince. Almost wanting to apologize. Agh, what was she doing? But, his eyes...

"O-Oh, really?" Her comeback was downright _pathetic_, but it was all she could choke out. Gazing at him like that, she was sure she would break completely. Hold it up just a little longer. Hold it up.

"Yes really. And let me just say that you're a terribly actor." He leaned close, smiling that wicked, yet _amazing_ smile of his. And he kissed her. She didn't think she could feel that sort of thing in a dream, and yet here it was, happening. Her heart thumping, her body heating up. That familiar stream of electricity running through her. And then his lips broke away. She was slipping. She was breaking. And _she didn't care_. But she did. But she didn't. She did. She didn't. Did. Didn't. She loved him. Hated him. Loved him. Hated him. "And don't forget. I'm a part of Kaito. I came from him."

"I am him."

Mari awoke in a cold sweat. Her heart was in her throat, beating loudly and impossibly fast. She felt clammy, dizzy. Kaito was asleep next to her, breathing steadily and surely. His face illuminated in the moonlight. He was Akaito. Akaito was him. But, gazing into the angel's face, she felt reassured and comforted. That peaceful smile was enough to make her feel at ease.

And she fell into dreams once again.

A familiar scene lay before her. Too familiar. She was in a forest. It was quite dark, nearly impossible to see. Gnarled trees loomed around her. But it was silent. Only the 'hoo'ing of owls could be heard, the occasional crunch of a mostly rotted leaf. She pushed through the leaves. As if determined to accomplish something. Sweat slid down her face, and she narrowed her eyes. The air was stiff and cold, and her limbs ached. Yes, this was very familiar.

There was moonlight, but the many trees obscured it. So when she came across a thorny branch, she couldn't see it, and ended up getting yet _another_ cut. Dried blood soon caked her skin, along with smears of dirt and tree sap. Hidden eyes seemed to glare in the darkness. Hidden forms lurked. She could sense it, and a tingle crept up her back. And more rustles sounded in the background. More crackles. She was being followed.

And in that precious moment she had chosen to stop, she felt something else _creeping up her back_. Nails, sharp and unwanted. Grazing across like claws. There was no denying the pain. Oh god, it hurt. She felt the tears gather in her eyes. Blood stained her back, and rightfully so. The unseen form crawled closer, sank its fangs into her flesh. Her neck was the prime target. Then her shoulder. Then her cheek, supple and soft. It was a man's face. But all she could see were the red, horrible eyes. "I love you," a raspy voice whispered. She breathed heavily. With all the blood...With all the pain... Her knees weakly collapsed. She collapsed. No...No...

The man leaned over her, staring into her eyes with a sort of malicious longing. But her vision blurred and she couldn't see anything more. Red swam at her eyes and she gave in. She surrendered. From the start, she had been weak. And now she was nothing. "I love you," the voice whispered again, and she heard nothing more.

The scene was warm, inviting. Something from a sample photo. A modeling shot. A picture from a magazine. Little cherry petals drifted down gently, and the sun shone through the blue sky. A wedding was taking place. A decorated arch, with two figures underneath it. Kaito was standing there, in front of her, looking handsome and so wonderful. And she was there too, standing in a beautiful white dress that rippled out like water. This...This was love. This was joy. Wasn't it? The man next to them cleared his throat, and the two jumped to attention.

"Do you, Mari, take Kaito to be your husband?"

"Yes." She was sure, smiling through her tears.

"Do you, Akaito, take Mari to be your wife?" Wait, Akaito?

Suddenly, Kaito's adorable blue hair was dyed red. His adorable blue eyes were red too. His teeth grew sharp, and they were stained with blood. "Yes," he said, and Mari gasped.

And he lurched toward her, canines sharp and shining, as if to gobble her up.

And everything went dark.

Perhaps it's for the best?

AN;; Isn't it just so much fun to torture characters? *laugh evilly* Poor Mari~


	23. Chapter 23

AN;; Next chapter, gogogo~ I wrote this all in about two hours, so I'm sorry for any continuity mistakes. owo''

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 23

"Mari... Mari..." spoke a gentle, low voice. A muffled yawn. "Come on, wake up." The voice was closer this time. The vibrations tickled her ear, and a shiver crept down her back. "Mari..."

She opened her eyes. Crouching over her was Kaito. He was smiling in that oh so familiar way, and she smiled a groggy grin back. "Mornin'," she commented, sitting up. It was a rather chilly "morning". The sky overhead was purple with night, and the grass was brittle. An hour and a half before dawn, approximately. Figures that it had to be that early.

"Start getting ready," he said, giving a firm nod, "and I'll wake up the others." He had evidently just woken up himself. His blue hair was tousled and stuck out at odd angles. His eyes had that usual tired, squinty look to them. But his attitude was the same as ever. No crankiness, no slow pace, no stiff limbs. Despite his just having woken up, he acted fresh as ever. He stood up, straightened out, and began to walk away. Mari just stared at him with a dazed smile. Ha, same as ever...

She then stood up, brushing herself off, rubbing at her eyes. Trying pointlessly to appear alive. Giving up, she started toward the stream. Maybe she'd take a bath. Bathes were nice. And this way she'd look fairly presentable, not that she cared all that much about how she looked.

Seeing the calm, rippling water reassured her. Calmed her, even. She began to lightly strip off her clothes, laying them on the grass so as not to get them wet. When she was ready, she prodded the water with her bare foot. "Ah, cold!" Mari squeaked, shying away slightly. But she got in anyway. Slowly sliding into the stream, setting her feet upon the sand and rocks. It was deeper than it looked, but still manageable.

Mari had kept her bra and panties on, for modesty's sake. It didn't matter; she had others to wear. After a bit, the water seemed to warm and she sighed in delight. "Ohhh," she voiced, shifting. Little ripples bounced out. Then she heard a rustle, some footsteps from behind her. She grew panicked. "Wh-who's there?" Her heart beat quick and fast in her throat. Oh god, she hoped to death the intruder was at least _female_.

And, oh thank god, it was. Gumi stepped out, look surprised. She blushed. "Oh, m-my mistake! I-I'll just go now," she said shyly. The girl brushed a lock of green hair out of her eyes.

Mari smiled gently, knowing Gumi's meek nature. "It's alright. For a moment there I thought you were Len or something. Do you want to come in?" she said. She tried her best to voice a soothing tone. To reassure the flustered girl. And it worked. Gumi showed that sweet face of her's, not quite yet devoid of a blush, and nodded. Mari turned away again. You know, so the girl could change. Modesty and privacy... Modesty and privacy...

Gumi eventually stepped in as well. "Huaa!" she cried out, surprised. "It's c-cold!" Mari laughed. And things were just like old times, really. They talked, giggled, and just had fun. It felt like being with Teto again. Mari remembered her and Teto's venture into the lake, and sighed.

_It had been early afternoon or so. The sun was high in the sky and the air was warm and reminiscent. Clouds lightly drifted by, casting gentle shadows. Mari, smiling alongside Teto, skipped the way to the stream. The very same she stood in now. They carried fishing rods Teto had "found". They were of average quality, nothing special. But something about the whole situation, staring at the rod in her hand, made Mari's heart swell._

_They sat beside the water, dipping their bare feet in. Mari noticed Teto's were scratched and rather grimy, and nudged her. "Don't you ever wash your toes?" she grinned at the redhead. Teto shrugged. To her, there was no need. Considering what had happened just later that day, she was right. There really was no need. They sat there for a while, their fishing rods dipped in the water, chatting mindlessly._

_After a bit, Mari had felt a tug. A _strong_ tug. She pulled at the rod, trying to yank it out of the water. Actually falling backward in the process. Oh yes, it was quite a struggle. She pulled and pulled this way and that, strong as she could. Teto was laughing so hard tears came to her eyes. It must have been quite a sight. Finally, Mari had won. And they had eaten that very fish for dinner. Ah, the savory taste of victory._

Of course, the bath ended eventually as well. Just like her fun with Teto. She and Gumi seperated, going to change and prepare for the day ahead. Yes, that's life for you. Coming and going and disappearing as needed. Meeting and separating. So why did she feel so alone? What was that heavy feeling in her chest? That pressure in her throat? She shook it off, and pulled her clothes back on. Yes...One by one, forget it. Swallow that weakness and keep it locked up in a bottle. And don't you dare let that bottle shatter in the heat of some faraway moment, or else it'll all come crashing down on you.

By the time she arrived back to where everyone else was staying, they were all up and about. And they were all disguised in various ways, although she could still tell who they were. Rin was chasing Len around the field, shouting, "Give it back, jerk!" Kiyoteru was sitting down with Yuki, telling her all about Ancient Greece and sharing some of their myths. Luka was chatting with Lily rather animatedly, perhaps talking about the beatings she had given Gakupo. So this was family... Mari felt the tears coming to her eyes. So this was what it felt like to be part of a community.

"People!" Kaito suddenly shouted. Everyone was suddenly silent, staring at the blue haired man. A guard with natural charisma. Mari shook her head with a crooked smile. "We're heading out now. Does everyone remember the plan?" And of course absolutely _everyone_ nodded. It was rather cartoonish. The way every single eye faced him, how every head bobbed to the same rhythm. "Good. Come on, follow me." Only Kaito and Mari had ever set foot in Fanmade Central. It was forbidden. Kaito had been summoned a few times by Akaito, since they were brothers, and Mari was neither Fanmade nor Vocaloid nor UTAU. So she joined him in leading, eager for a chance to talk.

With the steady crowd of people behind, she felt slightly reassured. She wasn't alone. "I-I think I can do this," she said to Kaito. Her tone was wavering and quiet, and she felt herself tremble. But she would try. These were the people that had welcomed in a stranger, had been kind to her, hadn't just wanted her for her power like Akaito. So she would repay them. She would try her hardest to get rid of Akaito. Even, she shivered, if it killed her.

The walk was a long one. It seemed even longer than when she had gone alone, for some reason. It still wasn't dawn. Finally they reached the halfway point. It was time, now, to seperate. Mari walked up to the person she _assumed_ was Lily, due to her flowing blond hair. "C'mon, _Master_," the girl frowned, grabbing her hand. They began to walk east, when Fanmade Central was _north_. It seemed to make no sense, but that was the point. A passerby might think they were going to some other place. Not that there were any passerbys, but better safe than sorry.

'Lilia' and Mari soon reached the 'turtle' building. And she realized why it was called that. It was rather like a planetarium, large and round and seemingly padded, but dyed a pastel green. They entered, stepping quietly so as not to disturb anything. At that point only two groups had arrived. Kiyoteru and Yuki (predictable, but she wouldn't go with anyone else), and Kaito and Len. Kaito had taken the shortest route, so that he could direct the others as they arrived. At that moment, however, he was sitting rather quietly, shuddering.

Mari approached him. "What's wrong?" she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. She then realized how awful he looked. Sunken eyes, pale, flushed skin, so thing it seemed he hadn't eaten in a week. It depressed her, looking at him. Why hadn't she noticed earlier? Was it the side effect of that typical facade he put up? That cheerful sales smile to ward away worry? She wondered if he was actually fooling himself.

"I...Master, how am I supposed to do this?" His voice was weak, breaking. He grasped at the air loosely, turning his hands over as if they were new to him. "I love everyone. I love all my fellow Vocaloids, all the UTAU, and you. But my own _family_..." he trailed off. "Oh Master, I just can't believe this. I love my family. Even considering my brother's schemes and plans for the Database, I _care_ for him. I don't want anything to happen to him, but this is my entire world we're talking about." No tears swam in his dead blue eyes. They just stayed empty, incomplete. The emotional, heartfelt words seemed to play from somewhere else; his lips seemed to mouth, but not speak. He stared mindlessly ahead.

And Mari stared back. She did not hug him, she did not cry. She did not voice sugar coated words of comfort. "It's okay"s and "Don't be sad"s and "Why don't I take you out for ice cream"s. Rather, she felt this sort of heaviness enter her mind. This cloud of doubt and confusion. She understood, in that moment. And it broke her heart. But there honestly wasn't much she could do. She sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around his back, pressing her cheek to his clothed shoulder blade. "I can't make any choices for you," she spoke finally. "But I just want you to know that we'll never hate you, no matter what you do or who you support." With that, he broke. His limbs weakened, and he fell over sobbing.

After a bit he stopped crying and regained control, giving Mari a firm hug and wiping his face with his sleeve. Her heart glowed in her chest. More Vocaloids arrived, and some UTAUs that had tagged along. They all crowded up there, in the dusty 'turtle' building, going over Kaito's plan in their heads. They would leave in a moment, when he gave the signal. A single cry of 'cherry'.

Bracing themselves, readying their feet to walk or run. Some would stay put. Readying their ears and their hearts and their minds. Getting themselves into the war mentality. Every breath was held, every fist was clenched. But a watched pot never boils. Rather, something else happened instead.

The door of the 'turtle' building gave a loud creak and swung open, revealing exactly what no one wanted. Or rather, _who_. A girl stood there, thin and lightly muscled, blond hair swaying. She stared at the crowd with intense eyes. "Anya Lacrowe speaking," she voiced. "And who might you be?"

Mari's heart just about stopped right there.

AN;; There you go, . I hope you liked this chapter, guys. I'll try to get the next one in as soon as I can. ^^


	24. Chapter 24

AN;; Happy anniversary, guys! It's been a year already. Pretty unbelievable. xD Welp, here comes the new chapter. In honor of the fic's anniversary, I decided to really 'deliver' this time. You'll see. c:

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 24

Mari's heart was beating a mile a minute. Thump, thump in her chest. She was positive it would crack her ribs. The woman in front of her frowned slightly, folding her arms at her chest. "Well? Who are you? I don't have all day." Long, flowing blond hair cascaded from her head. Her green eyes gleamed behind clear glasses. A long, sweeping, gold trimmed trench coat, with a white tee peaking out from the collar, and a pair of baggy pants. Certainly a unique character. A fanmade, obviously, but Mari was intrigued by her for some reason.

"I am Master. I was just gathering my things," Mari spoke slowly, hoping her anxiety didn't show through. "Lilia here was just helping me." Lily stepped over, looking pale as a sheet, and stood behind Mari. The tsundere let out a soft shudder.

There was a flash in the fanmade's emerald eyes. A pixelated dot and a strange symbol sparked within the iris. "Master, eh?" she murmured, as if in a trance. Then she came to, calm and wry as before. "Well then, _Master_, may I scan you?"

Mari breathed in sharply, cheeks pinkening. "I-if you need to..." she answered softly. And so the woman did. A scan isn't exactly a kiss. It looks like one, and feels like one to the novice, but the lips never touch. An invisible beam simply runs inside the mouth and throat, searching for data. A real kiss, well, Mari knew that. She suspected Akaito had scanned her with a kiss as well, the awful man that he was. Soon Mari was staring up at yet another perplexed face. She felt as if she were new to the Database again, meeting Len and Rin and Kaito for the first time.

"...I see. Well, you have no existing files whatsoever," 'Anya' said. It was a simple statement, and she paused to think, folding her hand under her chin in that typical way. More sparks and strange symbols blinked in her glowing green eyes. "I'd like to speak with you, if possible. We don't have much time, from the look of it. And I'll need your help too." Her last line was not directed toward Mari, nor toward any of the Vocaloids or UTAU. Rather, it was to a young girl who stepped out from behind her. A pale maiden of about nine, with tousled blue hair and a white dress much too long for her.

"Yes, naturally," Kaiko said with that familiar wry smile of her's. The two fanmades let Mari out of the building, to a secluded, secret corner. Mari suddenly became very frightened. What if this woman was going to hurt her? And what about Kaiko? Was she going to be hurt? Or...had she been brainwashed somehow? Such silly, yet rather rational fears zoomed around in her mind. It wasn't exactly helping her worry.

Anya seemed to sense these fears, and smiled gently. "Ah, don't worry. I'm not going to do anything to you. Well, I'd _like_ to, but..." she trailed off, playfully licking her lips. "Yes, I'm a fanmade. I'm as much of a fanmade as anyone in this cruddy joint, perhaps moreso. But, thing is, I'm not like them at all. At least, not the extremists like Akaito. I've been collecting data about him for a while now, harvesting his secrets and plans and weaknesses. To put it simply, I'm a spy."

Mari gaped. Well, this sort of thing was to be expected, no? After all, wasn't this "war"? And with conflicts there came spies. At least, according to all the silly novels she had read. All those silly, unrealistic 'young person' novels, featuring child heroes with generic personalities and their many unrealistic adventures. Was she like that? Was she just some unimportant, dull character, wrapped up in a novice's newest work? It was an interesting thing to consider, but she shook it off. Musn't daydream. She tended to poke her head in the clouds from time to time. "And how do I know you aren't a spy for him and trying to get info out of me?" Mari accused. Well, not really accused. It was spoken quite calmly. Anything was possible though, and you can't be too careful. One slip up and bye-bye VocaUTAU Central.

"Well, I guess there is no real proof, is there? I mean, I _am _a Fanmade, so you're right to be wary. But I just want to help, since I hate Akaito as much as anyone. It's my mission, of sorts," Anya said calmly, thoughtfully. "I don't really know how or why, but I've always had this mission to get rid of him. Ever since my first breath it was embedded in my mind. Perhaps it's my destiny to assist you?" Her words were slow, pondering. As if she were thinking and speaking simultaneously.

"If you believe in destiny..." Kaiko interjected, looking aside. Her expression was rather bitter. "I suppose mine is to remain a useless little girl?"

Mari blinked at Kaiko. "No!" she said at once, trying to calm the girl. "You...You can heal, can't you? You bandaged my head, remember?" Trying desperately to find _something_ for her 'gifted' companion.

Kaiko let out a soft sigh, and quieted. Her messy blue hair covered her face once again.

"Anyway," Anya said, waving her hand to bring them back on topic, "I'd like to join you. Or...help, in some way." Her words became cautious, careful not to step on land-mines. "If that's alright..."

Letting Anya help was dangerous. She seemed to be no harm, but she was a _fanmade_. And Mari couldn't just trust someone who was affiliated with her enemy blindly. On the other hand, Anya had good, useful information. She seemed to be strong. No doubt good for their side to have. Mari considered this for a moment. "I...I think it'll be alright. But you'll go with me, so I can watch you. And if you step out of line..." But Mari wasn't capable of making threats. She couldn't hurt another person, robot or flesh. And there was no blackmail to rely on.

Thankfully, Anya seemed to get the message. "Roger, Master." Master... It was such an odd thing to hear, even then. Mari smiled politely. "I'll get out my disguise. Kaiko and Master, you two go back in," Anya ordered, grinning. She was pulling at the buttons on her long, sweeping coat. "If you'd please."

Mari, understanding, nodded. She helped Kaiko up (the girl was surprisingly lighter than expected) and walked the both of them back in. Slipping into the large, circular room. Long, stony faces filled it. Eyes wide, faces pale, hands fumbling with their bags or coats or hair. "How...was it?" a daring voice cried out. It wavered unpleasantly.

"Just fine, Len," Mari called back, recognizing the voice. A few relieved sighs sounded, but the atmosphere was still quite tense. "In fact, we have a new helper. Kaiko will be healing the sick and wounded. I'm sure you know her?" Kaiko fidgeted, uncomfortable with all the attention suddenly directed toward her. All those eyes, staring, searching. Ready to point out any visible flaw. Mari patted the shy girl on the back in comfort. A few mutters and whispers buzzed in the crowd. Then all was silent.

"Don't worry," Mari assured them, smiling widely. "I'll make sure _he_ won't ever bother you again."

••••••••••••

End of Chapter 24 Part 1.

Grab some popcorn, folks. I'm delivering this time.

••••••••••••

Kaito returned soon. He wasn't supposed to come back. What was wrong? Had they been discovered? His face was oddly calm, but still! Mari remembered Anya, and grew suspicious. Had the fanmade told? But then, she had watched her the whole time. Except when she was changing. Wait, couldn't she have... Mari wet her lip, waiting for Kaito to speak. He drew in a foreboding breath.

"Relax, everyone," he began, motioning for the soft chatter to stop. "We have not been discovered. Rather, we have a new plan." A new plan? On such short notice? What was he thinking? Mari kept silent, awaiting his next words, or perhaps some sort of demonstration. "We're going to use a 'Trojan horse' scenario. A friend of mine built this statue of Akaito, and it's quite big. Half of us are going to hide inside. I'll bring it to Fanmade Central, since I'm his brother. I'll say it's a birthday gift.

"When I signal, you'll all tumble out. And then we attack. I'll escort Master to Akaito, while the rest of you will distract the guards and any malicious ladies. Those of you who are staying will keep watch, and help any sick or hurt that return." He shut his eyes for a moment, considering. Then the round blues opened once again. "Sound good?" And of course it did, to the nodding, fired up crowd. Mari was a tad doubtful. Who says that they would accept the statue? Who says that they wouldn't throw it back in Kaito's face? But there was no alternative.

And so half of the Vocaloids and the UTAUs and the one hidden fanmade all piled into the secret compartment of the statue. It was quite elegant, this statue. Akaito was a tall, handsome man with a scheming smile full of canines. His arms were folded against his toned, clothed chest. Mari, after a moment's consideration, climbed into the hole. It was cramped and thick with people, and it made her feel quite claustrophobic. She suspected it would be brutal on the bumps.

And so it was. Thankfully, the soil was fairly even. Kaito wheeled them along, humming softly. Everyone but him was completely and utterly silent. Not a breath was heard, not an absolute peep. Finally the motion stopped. Kaito said something to the current guard. Perhaps a 'may I come in?' or something to that effect. He was let in. The magnificent, old fashioned gates of Fanmade Central swung open, revealing the pitiful kingdom inside. At least, that was what Mari remembered. From her long ago trip there, the gates had seemed so scary and amazing, looming far above her head.

More motion. Kaito chose to wheel it on the area next to the cobblestone, so that it wouldn't shake. Mari was grateful to him. It was a while more before anything remarkable happened. Quite a few minutes, probably. Her heart thumped in her chest from the anxiety, making a loud 'barrump' sound and causing her spine to shudder and cave in slightly. The inside of the statue was filled with arm and foot holds to clutch, and everyone did just that. Mari herself was clinging to a slab jutting out from the side, not far from the entrance. Soon it again came to a halt. Muffled voices from outside were heard, and the doors of the castle opened. The statue was inside, finally. They were in.

Footsteps. A gentle click. And the entrance, hidden to all but those who knew it, was open. Everyone inside excitedly climbed out, wielding perhaps their weapons or their fists, or their wits. After the inhabitants were occupied, battling and struggling, Mari exited as well. The sight was foreign to her. Last she had seen the castle, it had been silent, and endlessly large, shiny marble floors bare and glaring. Now, though, the air was thick with noise, the hall looking perhaps smaller, the floor scuffed and trampled. Mari spotted Kaito, looking determined and heaving with breath. She grabbed his arm, and they bolted down the hall, up the stairs...

And what greeted them was something unexpected. Something horrible and frightening, and quite familiar. Or rather, some_one_. A thin, lanky man with violet hair and eyes. The corner of his mouth was stained with coffee, or maybe blood. He wore that typical gray sweatshirt, but even that seemed awful and evil. This man, this unwelcomed man, was Taito. The breath caught in Mari's throat.

"Going somewhere?" the creepy man said, grinning in that terrible way. His sharp, devouring teeth glinted.

Kaito stepped forward. He still held that determined expression, blue eyes narrowed and fists clenched. "Yes, we are," he said. His voice was somehow cold and sharp. It was unlike him. Then for a moment he seemed to regain his usual attitude. He leaned in, mouth hovering over Mari's ear. "Run," he whispered, vibrations tickling her ear. "I'll take care of him." And, heart beating fast, she nodded and bolted.

Leaving the two together was risky. One would probably die, and she hoped to god it wouldn't be Kaito. Clutching the shiny golden doorknob, she glanced back once more before slipping into the throne room. A velvet carpet greeted her, rippled red curtains, a gently sloping chair. Seated in that chair was the 'Red One' himself. He held that wide grin, filled with sharp canines and broken lives. While his people sat on old potato sacks, he sat on gold.

"And how may I help you, dear _Master_?" he said, tone icy and malicious. He stood, brushing off his richly decorated coat. "I suppose you've come to defeat me?" Either he knew about the commotion, or he had great insight. Or both.

"Yes," Mari said back, shivering. With nervousness and fear, oh yes, but also anger. She was shivering with anger and hate, toward that greedy man in front of her. There was no holding back this time, no beating around the bush. No getting 'wrapped up' in his hateful gaze. No, she was going to kill him. The word pleased her. _Kill_. _Murder_. But it was a good kill. A justified murder. She stepped forward, mouth salivating at the thought. It was evil, but her's was the lesser evil. Right? Right?

"Bold, are you?" He didn't seem phased, giving a light shrug. "Hm, well, I suppose I shouldn't tell you this, but the Global Singer Editor file is on that computer right there." He jerked his thumb toward the laptop propped up behind him. In the heat of the moment, Mari never doubted him. The hate was boiling over, blinding her. She seethed.

Leaping forward, letting out a cry. Punching, kicking. Her breath was sharp and quick as she fought the awful man. He, again unphased, merely pushed away. At this point her rage was so great that her vision was white. She could not think, was not conscious. Her head pulsed, her saliva seemed to thicken. Her arms and legs moved on their own. It was exhilarating, this hate. Maddeningly so. And she struggled harder, swinging her limbs around. Jabbing her boot here, throwing a fist there. She seemed to hit him in the jaw, nail him in the stomach. He weakened, now actually trying to get rid of her. So she gave him the hardest, most painful of kicks. He seemed to double over, and she seized her chance. Grabbing hold of the laptop, running the program. It was a list of every Vocaloid, UTAU, and Fanmade known, and their voice preferences. A sadistic feeling filled her, and she selected his file. Set to be very low, and using Kaito's voicebank. Hitting that wonderful delete button was all she had to do.

Mari looked back, stealing a last glance at the crimson fanmade. The 'Great Red One'. He was on his knees, looking bruised. His face was pained, his mouth shut and quivering. There was a gash in his cheek and one of his eyes was swollen and purple. He grabbed at her leg, and she was suddenly reminded of that faraway nightmare. Back, seemingly ages ago, when Kaito had also grabbed her leg, bleeding and broken. The same thoughts ran through her mind._ Give up now, it's hopeless. _No it's not. She was nearly done. _Look what you've done, though. Look at the man you've hurt_. Look at all the people she'd save. _Give up now, relax. Say you're sorry and leave. Have some cake_. No. _Say you're sorry_. No!

Mari tore her eyes away from the man, and hit that final delete button. Akaito's name vanished from the list. And the grip on her leg seemed to loosen, to fall away. A soft moan sounded, a pained cry. And she was alone in the room. A guilt filled her. What...What had she done? He would never come back. She had just killed someone. The air caught in her throat, and tears gathered. She hated him, but was it really right? She couldn't answer that, kneeling down and sobbing. The space where he had lay was empty, his body gone. Murder. Homicide. Whatever the reason, it was still wrong. His last expression came to mind, and that terrible moan. She cried harder, face wet and smeared.

The door soon swung open. Kaito stood there, and he spotted Mari. She couldn't see him, blinded by tears and guilt. But she could sense his presence. His being. The thought was so comforting, the knowing that he was there and wouldn't disappear. He wrapped his warm arms about her, burying his face in her hair. She gave a shudder and grasped at his back. The knowing that he wasn't going to vanish suddenly. But she could do that. She could make anyone disappear and oh god, that fact was too awful to think about.

"Shh," Kaito whispered. "It's over now." His voice wavered, and he began to cry as well. "It's okay now." Soft sobs resounded. Her's were beginning to slow, but his were harsh and choking. She ran a gentle finger down his neck, down his back. It became a comforting rub, a slow massage.

"Yes, it's okay now," she replied, voice raspy and clogged. "Don't you cry too."

The two puffy wet faces looked at each other, reminiscent smiles tugging on their lips. It was finally over. There was no awful, crimson stained man. He was no more. The idea was so strange and relieving.

But a dark form loomed not far behind, pulsating. There was something else that needed resolving.

AN;; Now, how was that? I miss Akaito already. Cx He was a fun character. Ah, well. Review if you like. Thanks for reading, and the next chapter will be out soon.


	25. Chapter 25

AN;; Happy New Year, guys! To celebrate, here's the new chapter of Hard Drive Singer. 3 Thanks for sticking by me all this time.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 25

The world was saved. The Database was free from Akaito, free from his meddling fingers. It hurt to think, though. To think she had done such a thing... To think she had _enjoyed_ it. Oh, how horrible. Absolutely horrible. She was disgusted with herself. But this guilt, it gnawed away at her. She had ended a life. No matter if it was human or robot or something in between. She had killed a consciousness. She remembered that last cry of pain, the loosening grip on her leg... How he just seemed to vanish, to pop like a bubble. The tears filled her eyes again, rising, rising. But no, she wouldn't cry again today. She would stop dwelling. She would calm herself, steady herself. It was over.

The large, gold-lined doors swung open with a magnificent creak, a breathtaking sweep. And there was Taito, lying in the corner. His violet eyes were wide, his cheek splattered with blood. He was alive, but only just. His chest heaved with breath, a terrible, trembling up and down motion. His fists grasped loosely at the marble floor. Kaito, who stood beside her, stiffened. He stepped over.

Kaito was not a bad person. Nor was Taito, as much as he scared and disgusted her. The world is not black and white. It is all gray, all melding and blending shades of gray. Nothing is defined or exact. And it was no different in the Database. Kaito stared down at his brother, cowering and stained with blood (or was it coffee?). And he reached out his hand. "If you're willing to come halfway, I'll meet you in the middle," he said, in that deep, comforting voice. Taito just stared, those bloodshot eyes opened unnaturally wide.

And he took Kaito's hand. Mari suspected it must have been quite a shock, being beaten like that. And, thinking back... Each Fanmade was a piece of the original, embodied and walking as a person. Taito was the coward in him, and all the violent, bottled up desires. And Kaito had beaten that part of him, had forced it to its knees. All it could do was accept that, and 'meet him halfway' as the phrase was. "Mm..." Taito managed to voice, standing up. His legs wobbled but did not fall, did not give out. His skin seemed paler than ever.

And that was how it happened. Master, the missing link between Vocaloid and Creator, defeated Akaito, the feared evil. Finally, one might say. Finally. It seemed rather anticlimactic though. After all that worrying, all that running around... He was gone. And now there was only one thing to worry about. The thing that was now eating away at the castle walls, pulsating infinitely. The humongous mass of black, swallowing everything up.

The three, Kaito, Taito, and Mari, reached the hall. Meiko was in tears, Prima comforting her softly. The guards had dropped their weapons and retreated. Who was left? The Vocaloid and UTAU who had chosen to go. They were also sobbing, but more out of desperate, relieved joy. Clutching each other, clustering together. Once Mari entered the room, many ran to her. Hugging her, thanking her, collapsing at her feet. It felt wrong somehow. She had done something terrible, and they were acting so grateful as to make her uncomfortable? But she did not voice this, and instead hugged them, thanked them, helped them up off the floor (why they were doing _that_, she had no idea...).

Anya walked up to her. The older girl with flowing blond hair, glinting green eyes. She was strapping a bow on her back and tucking a few arrows into a container. "Great job, Master," she said, shaking Mari's hand. "My mission is fufilled." Another Fanmade approached her. A boy with curly pink hair, wearing square glasses and a small smile. Mari was reminded of Teto, and internally sighed. "Hello Master. Thank you for avenging my sister's death." His pink eyes filled with tears, and he gave a small nod. The nametag on his vest read 'Kasane Ted'. There were others, of course. But those two stuck in her mind, especially Ted. She couldn't help but wonder if he _was_ related to Teto. Perhaps she was that 'sister' he had thanked her for avenging?

Eventually they left. Fanmade Central was full of people, running around. Some celebrated, throwing their arms into the air amongst the clouds of dust. Others sobbed and mourned the loss of their ruler. Akaito's demise brought mixed feelings. There were the upper class, who seemed to call Mari an 'ungrateful urchin'. There were the middle and lower classes, who either loved her or hated her. The air was thin with broken tension, dust flying into the air after being brushed off of the surface.

Standing outside those sweeping gates in the fresh, clean air, Mari felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. She honestly couldn't describe it. The mood was much lighter, much simpler. There was no odd reek of death. Only the sweet, familiar sight of her friends, her acquaintances. Her community. She noticed vaguely that Anya and Kaiko had disappeared, but didn't think much of it. Her heart warmed, her cheeks regained their color. It finally came to her, that delicious after-taste following a great struggle. The knowing that it was finally _over_ and _done with_, that you had succeeded. It tasted rather like really good yogurt. Blueberry, perhaps?

Kaito spoke up, smiling in that usual way. It seemed so charming. "So! How about we go back home?" 'Home' always meant the same place here. Back to VocaUTAU Central. And she couldn't think of a place she'd _rather_ go. It really was wonderful, sitting in the food court with Kaito, Rin, Len, maybe Gumi or Miki, a fat slice of cake on her plate. Now that Akaito was gone, there was nothing to fret about. Except, of course, Miku. And Miku had a considerable amount of power.

Mari looked up at Kaito, troubled. "Will they let me back in?" She wasn't sure they would. Or, if someone vouched for her and she was able to return, Miku might, ah, _persuade_ Gakupo or someone else into kicking her out again. The girl left a rather bad taste in Mari's mouth.

But Kaito's smile only widened. "Don't worry," he said, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure they will." And in that second, she _believed_ him. She believed that things would work out, that things would turn out alright. She would go back and be welcomed with a warm smile and a cup of steaming hot chocolate. A greeting handshake, a friendly hug. A few 'how-are-you's.

The two, Vocaloid and Master, walked hand in hand. His large, comforting hand wrapped around her smaller one. Warmth. The others trailed behind, some even in front. A few hummed under their breath. Some skipped, some also held hands. The atmosphere was so light and cheerful, it was hard not to. A grin tugged on Mari's lip.

"Something?" Kaito asked, tilting his head. That confused puppy-dog look on his face. It took all her strength not to giggle. She didn't think he would appreciate it.

"Ah, nothing," she replied, hiding her smile behind a free hand. What was that song? Meruto or something. About a shy girl who's afraid to confess to her crush. It began to play in Mari's head, loud and sweet. She hummed to the tune. It was a... Ryo song, wasn't it? Every song has someone who made it. Yes, she was quite sure it was a Ryo song. She could hear Kaito humming the same tune absentmindedly. Perhaps his was a parody about ice cream. She knew him too well.

"You're familiar with Melt?" he said, chuckling. She thought he looked so great when he laughed, when the sun hit him at just the right angle. He seemed to almost...glow. "That's older! But then, it's still so popular. Miku was a different person back then." He seemed to trail off wistfully, looking into the distance.

Mari blinked. It was her turn to be surprised. "Miku sang Melt?" Melt was such a popular song from, well, _her_ world. Back before she came to the Database. It wasn't possible for Miku to have sung it, was it?

Kaito only laughed more heartily. "Yes." The look he gave her was so warm and amused that she found herself blushing in spite of her trying so hard _not_ to do just that. "You have much to learn, young Master." If Mari had been drinking milk, it would have come out of her nose.

They walked a longer route, talking their time to smell the roses, as the saying goes. The sun shone high and bright, and slowly wafted its way to the lower half of the sky. Toward the rosy, painted western horizon. A marvelous sight. The days had been growing colder as of late, but that day was as warm as any mid July afternoon. A pleasant breeze ruffled their hair, caused Kaito's blue scarf to tremble.

Around evening, they saw the glowing blue gates in the distance. A new guard had apparently been stationed there, but of course he wasn't around. Mari guessed he was busy celebrating with everyone else. It was as if a game had been won. She had been on neutral ground, technically, but she couldn't help but feel happy when "her" team triumphed over the "enemy". It was that delicious, satisfied feeling that she loved so much.

Eventually they were inside, just in time for a nice dinner in the food court. Mari seated herself at one of the tables in the circular room, stars shining through the glass ceiling. Kaito was soon seated beside her. Rin and Len too, and Luka. And Gumi stood beside their table, smiling in that shy way. Evidently, after she stopped being Gakupo's assistant, she became a waitress full-time.

"Cake, Master?" she asked, holding up her pad and pen. Mari nodded yes. "Miss Luka will want a tuna sandwich, I expect. Mr. Kaito will want the daily special. And Rin and Len will both want chicken strips. Right?" She knew them all too well. After affirming this, she scurried off to get their food. The uniform of that cafe in particular was a maid outfit. Gumi looked absolutely adorable in it. Her bouncing green hair, held by that black and white frilly headband, oh! Mari fought her giggles back. No need to embarrass the poor girl.

"So," Kaito said, once they all had their food. Turns out the special that day was a special sort of hamburger. "We've finally beat Akaito. After all that, it's finally over." There was a cheer, and they toasted their waters ("To Master! Without her, who knows what state we'd be in?"). Kaito cleared his throat, and they all began to pay rapt attention. "But that's just it, you see. It _isn't_ over."

Mari blinked. What did he mean, it wasn't over? Of course it was! Akaito was gone. That was all they had to worry about, right? And yet something kept gnawing at her, some evil she had forgotten to put a name to.

"You see, we still have the virus to worry about."

AN;; Didn't forget about old "endlessly pulsating" blobby over here, did'ja? :3 Just do the usual, I suppose. Review if you liked it, review if you didn't. Or don't. That's fine too, haha.


	26. Chapter 26

AN;; Sooo. owo;; I...really haven't updated in a while, have I? I'm sorry. I've just been busy with life and all that crap. Thank you to those of you who are still reading. You have no idea how grateful I am, ffff. I'm probably only going to write one more chapter. And that'll be it. After that, I'll work on updating older chapters that have become outdated/obsolete. Alrighty?

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 26

It was the dead of night. The moonlight shining through the windows, casting an eerie glow onto the scene. It was dark, though, quite dark. And cold. The warmth of summer had subsided, leaving behind the cold, empty air of autumn. Her bare feet tiptoed past blank walls, muffled by cool plastic. Her brown hair was loosely tied into a ponytail, and a large blanket lay over her shoulders. It was the dead of night, and Mari couldn't sleep.

She knew why, of course. Thinking about the virus, that awful, pulsating black thing. Imagining it just eating away at the things, and people, she loved. Oh, what a terrible thought! She shuddered and pushed at the door, wrapping the powder blue blanket tighter. The fresh, outdoor air greeted her, and she let herself smile and breathe a heavy sigh. It would most certainly be a long night.

Mari was not the only one out, however. There was another. A woman with plump, red lips and a curvy body. A beautiful creature, with hard brown eyes. She matched Mari's sigh. "Hello Master. You couldn't sleep either?" she said in a smooth voice, looking out into the starless sky. She seemed to have something on her mind. "The fresh air doesn't do much, but it's nice."

Mari nodded, snapping the door shut. "Yes, it is," she agreed. The two stood in silence for a bit, just enjoying the night. It wasn't exactly 'fun'. But it was pleasant enough. It was very relaxing. Calming. "Your name is Meiko, right?" she asked hesitantly, blinking.

The woman smiled wistfully, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "Yes, I'm Meiko. I 'betrayed' my city and lived with Akaito in Fanmade Central. And I don't regret it." She shut her eyes for a moment. "I loved him, though. He loved me too. He used to wrap his arms around me and kiss the back of my head. I miss his laughs, our little chats. His goals were unreasonable, sure! But he wasn't a bad person." Tears formed in her eyes, causing her makeup to bleed. "No... Not at all."

Mari was growing rather uncomfortable. Not only was someone she barely knew just spilling her feelings out to her, but those feelings were about someone she had just, well, _killed_. And it was still a rather sore subject. A subtle guilt began to gnaw away at her, and she considered going back inside. But no, that would be rude. And...Meiko looked like she needed a shoulder to lean on.

"I remember when he confessed to me. It was a couple of years ago, and he asked me to come with him to a 'paradise'. A 'new land'. He really believed that he was doing the right thing. And I do think he became corrupted by power later on. But...But..." Meiko was choking, clutching at her eye with a slender hand. "But...I loved him!" The woman shuddered and began to steady her breathing, trying to calm herself.

Mari honestly didn't know what to say. It was still so awkward. "I...I feel really bad," she said, attempting to provide some sort of audience. Of course, it only succeeded in making her feel even worse.

Meiko gave a wry smile through her tears and streaked makeup. "I don't blame you. It was bound to happen sooner or later," she said quietly. "And...I'm being really selfish, aren't I? I mean... Now everything is peaceful. Without him, I'm unhappy, but everyone else is safe." She swiped at her face with a piece of fabric. "Thank you for listening to me, Master. I just feel so alone."

Mari gave her a gentle smile. "You're not alone. While you were gone, everyone was asking about you. 'When will Meiko come back?', 'Tell Meiko to come back, we miss her!'." It was true, and the woman's reaction was so surprised and _warmed_. "So why don't you try to sleep it off?" the brown haired teen said, holding her hand out. "I can walk with you, if you want."

And so she did. They walked back toward Meiko's room together, hand in hand. Neither spoke, lest they tarnish the newly formed bond. No, their lips stayed shut, although sometimes curving into reminiscent smiles. Their words were the silence. And they were such sweet, desired words! Meiko's room was not far from Mari's, which was convenient. After parting, the young Master slipped in her own door, breathing another thick sigh. But this time it was followed by a yawn. She was tired, and she would sleep. Curling into bed that night was simple, easy. It was the best sleep she had had in ages.

Waking up, Mari felt good. Very good, in fact. She felt fresh and awake, and quite ready to start the day. Eager to do so, actually. Her eyes were not heavy, her limbs were not weak. Her head was not dizzy and easily irritated. She felt perfect. And she had woken up on her own. For the first time in a while, she had not been prematurely awoken by someone else. That was also wonderful. Breathing a light, carefree sigh, she went to go and take a shower. She would start the day correctly, and end it just as well. That is, unless...

The water tattooed her as she washed, shampooing vigorously. This was a good day. A peaceful day. She had defeated the awful Akaito and sent the Database into a time of happiness and peace. There was one more thing, one more thing to worry about. But it wouldn't do that much. It couldn't hurt them, not now anyway. Even if it was that bad, it surely wouldn't wreck havoc that fast. Right? Exiting the shower, she heard a knock at the front door. Hm, who could that be? "I'll be right there!" she called out, speaking for the first time that day.

Mari pulled on something light and casual. A gray sweatshirt and comfy shorts. She wasn't sure if it was warm enough for those today. But to be honest, she didn't care. She was going to wear whatever the heck she wanted and no one was going to stop her. And who would, anyway? Donning a smile, she yanked the door open. Standing there were three very familiar faces. Three faces she knew by heart, ones she could recognize a mile away.

On the left was Kaito. She expected a visit from him. It was no trouble. He looked a bit weary. Had he gotten enough sleep? Then was Miki, all bright eyes and eager attitude. She looked every bit as serious as Kaito, however. And Miki was _never _serious. When she was, that meant trouble. And on the end was an equally grave Kiyoteru. She didn't know him all that well, having just met him a couple days ago, but he didn't seem the type to be all that serious either.

"Master," Kaito began, taking her hand. "There's something you need to see." Something...she needed to see? From the looks of it, well, it didn't sound good. But nothing was going to ruin her mood. Not that day, she would make sure of it. So, donning a firm smile, she nodded toward her crush. And was soon led out of her comfortable apartment, out of the residential wing, out of VocaUTAU Central altogether. Standing outside those glowing gates, she felt suddenly naked.

It was chilly. But not horribly so, and Mari found she could bear it. It did turn her cheeks a freshly slapped pink, and she rubbed at them, blowing out steamy breath that floated away as mist. All seemed peaceful, if bland. Though... There was a thickness in the air. A density that she just couldn't place. A tenseness. Odd. But it soon gained a name.

Underneath the gray sky, atop the brittle grasses, was something so horrible, so terrible. It seemed to be a slab of the universe itself, mashed up and bruised and given form. A pulsating, swirling black mass. A gruesome monster, a rip in time and space. It was the virus. And oh god it was _huge_. It towered above them, seemed to paw at the bottomless sky. Mari was positive it would suck up the stars themselves. It had this aura about it. This thick, dark emotion. Which made it all the worse.

"So, this, y'see, is what that little swirl you coughed up turned into. 'Course, it's hard to believe, isn't it?" Miki said, furrowing her brow. She stared up at the virtual black hole with hard eyes, but her words were bright and casual like always. This comforted Mari a great deal.

Kiyoteru spoke next. Being a teacher, he knew exactly how to explain. "After the virus used you as a bridge, it let itself out and infected the Database. As you can see, it took the form of a massive black hole. And it will only get bigger until it eventually swallows everything up. That is, at least, the simplified explanation." He adjusted his glasses in a most serious manner.

"I thought you needed to see this," Kaito then said, gripped Mari's hand tighter. "Because we aren't safe. Things aren't simple and peaceful yet. Not until that thing is gone, anyway." He looked down at her, and she felt a surge of guilt. Of course. He was right. They hadn't entered a 'time of happiness and peace' quite yet. And might not ever, if she couldn't find a way to kick that out on its butt. And in that case, she and all the others would die. Not a very happy outcome.

Staring at the quivering spiral of black, 'Master' felt tears spring to her eyes. Bubbling and frothing at her eyelids. She wasn't sure why or how they had come. And might not ever know. But that was irrelevant. It was all irrelevant. Mari had to stop that thing, and she knew how. But, ugh, it would mean...

She shuddered, and gave a feeble nod. "I'll get rid of it."

.


	27. Chapter 27

AN;; Oh _god_ is this late. What a hiatus! But it is the end, and I was kind of reluctant to finish it. You should start to see chapter updates from now on. Trying to up the quality, you know? owo I honestly dislike this story, though, so don't expect too much.

Hard Drive Singer

Chapter 27

Getting rid of the virus was tricky. Very tricky. And her plan was quite risky. Not to mention the effect it would have on _her_. But it was worth it if she could save them. And if she failed, well, at least she tried. A lump rose in her throat at the thought.

Mari turned her head to gaze up at Kaito with wet eyes. He stared back worriedly. It was rare for Kaito to show any sort of negative emotion. Anger, sorrow, _fear_... She could see it in his eyes and felt a growing uneasiness. Looking over to Miki and Kiyoteru was no better. The former shrunk away from the mass like a startled kitten, and the latter was fumbling anxiously with his briefcase. Not good. But, well, it was a _humongous black hole _that couldquite literally_ rip the world apart_.

The virus expanded, sucking a tree and an abandoned shed into its depths. She saw them just rip out of the soil, fly into the blackness. And disintegrate into absolute nothing. Imagine what that could do to a person... She shivered and clenched her fists. Her body felt clammy, cold. Just thinking about these things made her feel queasy. But it had to be seen. It had to be done. She couldn't neglect it any longer.

But she couldn't rid of it that day. Not then, no. It would take planning, time. These things don't happen all that quickly. Tomorrow, she assured herself. Tomorrow would be the day. "May I go back inside?" she asked the others. It was quite chilly out. Autumn had arrived, driving away the warm summer days once and for all. The trees ruffled in the crisp wind, swishing and accidentally shedding some unlucky leaves.

"Sure," Kaito finally replied, clearing his throat. He looked uncomfortable. "I'll go in with you." Miki and Kiyoteru stayed out to keep watch on the virus. She couldn't help but feel a tad sorry for them. Gripping Kaito's free arm, Mari headed back into VocaUTAU Central. Past the glowing blue gates (waving to the new guard, naturally!), up to the wide white doors.

Inside, though she had thought it cool before, was incredibly warm and cozy, compared to outside. The wall of warmth was comforting. But at the same time, the surroundings still seemed so clean and precise and, well, white. It quite honestly looked like an office building. Reception area in the middle, reflective floors that your shoes clacked on, stretching hallways with door lined walls, and of course the occasional sign stuck to a ceiling or wall, giving arrows to different locations.

Mari, despite having stopped walking, still clung to Kaito's arm. He had stretched it over to hold onto her shoulder, drawing her closer. She couldn't help but like him. He was just so sweet. Laughing softly at the typical, overdone nature of it all, she lowered her hand to hold his. His hands were warm, smooth. Just the way they should be. Master and vocaloid, walking side by side, hand in hand. Master and vocaloid, walking as equals. She hadn't thought of it at the time, but it was almost symbolic.

"How about I take you to the food court and we get hamburgers?" Kaito offered, smiling down. That sounded wonderful, really. She was hungry. Normally, she would have eaten something out of her fridge, but since she had gone out to see the virus with everyone, she hadn't gotten the chance to. Hamburgers for breakfast, though... That was a bit odd.

They entered the area, glass ceiling above them. The room was, unlike her last visit, fairly dim. The sun was not out. The people sitting at the tables looked gloomy, tired. They dazedly sipped cold coffee. She almost forgot sometimes. The people here had jobs. Had to wake up daily to earn money. Not to keep a home, since every Vocaloid and UTAU was guaranteed a room for the rest of their life, but to keep food in said homes, to buy clothing and supplies and luxuries here and there. In a way, it wasn't that different from normal human life.

Mari had nearly forgotten about that, having spent so much time here. She couldn't even remember her family's faces. When she thought of a brother, she thought of Len or Gakupo. A sister? Luka, Gumi, maybe even Miki. Her past life was almost completely gone from her memory. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. But this life was better, nicer. She was perfectly happy in VocaUTAU Central. Granted, she wasn't on great terms with Miku, and half the people in Fanmade Central (now simply the 'Fanmade Division') absolutely hated her, but being with Kaito, she felt as if she never wanted to leave.

"Two please," he voiced to the cashier at the burger stand. A blond women with a firm, angry look in her eye. Wait...

"Lily?" Mari asked, blinking. Yes, she was sure. It had to be. Although she found it hilarious that Lily worked at a fast food booth, of all things. "Lily, is that you?"

The woman sighed and handed Kaito a grease spotted bag. "Yes, it's me," she snapped. And then her voice became monotonous, as if recited from an index card. "I hope you enjoy your food. Please stop by again sometime."

Mari and Kaito sat at an empty table, breaking open the Hamburger Holiday bag and taking out one each. There was nothing remarkable about the scene. Nothing important said or not said. God, the familiarity of it all. The coziness of such a close community. She never wanted to leave. "Master?" Kaito spoke softly, wiping his hands with a napkin.

"Mm?" She looked up, setting down her burger. Crap, he ate _fast_.

"We're going to be establishing a sort of government here," he said, clearing his throat again. "It's a wonder we didn't have a formal one set up before. Perhaps we were counting on you, or maybe Creator." A government huh? Well, it only made sense.

"We know Creator is truly in charge, with you just below him, but we want to make things more organized. So we're going to elect a leader for a ten year term. Vocaloids don't age, which makes things simpler I suppose." He looked to the side, sighing. "They want me to run."

Mari blinked. "Well, why don't you?"

He looked at her oddly. "Why would you? I don't want to be leader in a group project, let alone a whole civilization." He twiddled his thumbs awkwardly. "It's just so stressful. But I don't want to be disrespectful and refuse."

"Why don't you just nominate someone else, then? If they're good, whoever's deciding will be impressed and you'll get off scot free," Mari pointed out, taking another bite of her tasty meal. "The problem with that, though, is who you would suggest. There aren't exactly that many candidates."

Kaito nodded. "I thought of that too. I just don't know." They were quiet for a moment, finishing up their food and sighing or yawning here and there. There was nothing more she could add. She had no idea who would be a good person to have in charge. If anything, Kaito was the natural choice. Nice enough, charismatic, and with a good, confident head on his shoulders. But it was obvious he didn't want to accept such an offer.

And, honestly, she couldn't blame him.

Night had fallen hours ago. The sky was dark, the air was cool. The day had gone by much too quickly, much to Mari's dismay. 'Because that,' she told herself, 'may very well be my last day here.' She spent the day working on a song with Gumi, window shopping a bit, and just messing around in general. It was comforting, lulling. A simple feeling of normality. It left her feeling lethargic and pleasantly sleepy.

It was about the time she would usually slip into her pajamas, grab a good book, and head to bed. Usually. But this night was not usual. As such, she found herself in a nightgown, rapping at the door of Kaito's apartment. Knocking over and over again, waiting patiently for him to answer. After a few minutes he did. The white metal door swung open to reveal him, dressed comfortably and damp from a recent shower. His blue hair dripped, as if to a silent rhythm.

"Hm? Master?" he blinked, running a smooth hand through his hair. "What are you doing here so late? Not that I mind." It felt so normal, so natural. And to think, she might never be this close with him again. She might never get this opportunity again. It hurt. It hurt so badly. She...She didn't want to leave. It tugged at her chest, made her throat feel strange. And then the tears began to come.

"Eh? W-What's wrong?" he stumbled, pulling her gently into the apartment. Agh, agh. She couldn't help it. They streamed down her puffy red face as she choked, trembled. Kaito sat her down on the couch. And he let her sob it out.

But she couldn't tell him why she was crying. Because then that would ruin it. He would never let her defeat the virus in such a way. He would never let her go. And then she would accomplish zip, zilch. Nothing. So she shook her head, wiped her cheeks, and gazed up at him in a rather melancholy way. "Could I stay with you tonight?"

He looked taken aback for a moment, but soon regained his composure. "Ah, alright. I don't mind." He shot her a smile. Such a warm gesture. It melted her heart. "Do you want to watch a movie?" That she couldn't help but agree to. He put on a comedy after causing some hilarious DVD player antics. And the two soon leaned against each other, a blanket strewn on top.

Kaito was the first to drift off. His blue eyes fluttered and fell. Thankfully, he for whatever reason did not snore. She smiled at his sleeping face sadly, clutched his arm closer. She would never forget, no matter what. Regardless of all the time that would pass, she could never forget him. And with that, she leaned back and fell asleep herself.

Mari would miss him more than anything.

It was the day. Her last hour. The climax, you could say. Mari awoke, dazed, in Kaito's arms. Apparently he was the type to randomly hug things in his sleep. Haha. But she didn't have time to wait and savor it this morning. "Kaito~," she smiled softly, pushing him off. He blinked his eyes confusedly. "Good morning!"

He returned the gesture. "Good morning, Master." He had woken up a bit, and was now stretching and rubbing his eyes. They both stood and proceeded to separate and dress. The same as the times before when she had slept "at his place". These times had been few and far in between, but beloved all the same. She would miss them...

It was ten in the morning, according to a digital clock in Kaito's apartment. She was planning on going out to rid of the virus at noon. So she had two hours left. Mari had done quite a bit of planning the day before. All the details, the consequences. If not done right (or quickly enough), she would surely perish. It left her with an uneasy feeling. A sick feeling. But she couldn't panic. Running away wouldn't help.

But it wasn't her worries that were making her feel odd, she realized. No, certainly not. The floor seemed like it was rocking beneath her. Her mind began to feel garbled. Her thoughts seemed more like pieces of tangled string. Vision dulling, blackening. Kaito was staring at her with wide eyes, trembling himself. What was this? What was doing this?

"_You're all just corrupted data, you know. Garbled code and misplaced cookies_ ."

It was a sickening voice. One slithery and sleazy and _disgusting_. She didn't hear it, though. It climbed into her head. Played over and over again like a skipping record. "No we're not," she whispered, voice breaking. It was the virus, she was sure. Nothing could be more unlikable, more inhuman. Evil? She wouldn't call it that. But it was the closest thing to that she knew.

"_Silly piece of code. Of course that's all you are. And you're very delicious too._ "

"So we're just food to you?" she retorted, shaking. She was spinning. Unable to see out of dizzyness, and rage. Rage that filled her up.

"_You're no better than me. What about that hamburger you ate yesterday? Do you feel sorry for digesting it?_ "

She could take no more. It was early, but darn it, she didn't care. Shaking with hate and anger, she grabbed her jacket and ran out the door. The floor seemed to slip and slide beneath her feet like sand. Sand in an hourglass. Her time was up.

Looking back at the building, it was being steadily devoured by the virus, which had grown considerably. The land around her was gone. Only the hill on which she had first appeared still remained. The Fanmade Division was gone. VocaUTAU Central was nearly gone as well.

Kaito. Kaito was gone, she was sure. Gone for good. She would never see his face again. Not even his lifeless body. He would become blank data in the viruses vast stomach. She had nothing to lose by doing this. It was over. It was hopeless, but at least the Database itself would be safe. The survivors ("Are there any?") would have to begin life here anew. A shudder ran down her spine.

Gripping her hands into fists, she focused her mind on the virus. Let go of all her emotions, all her thoughts, and became it. She became the virus. She felt it invade her pores, sink into her skin. If she didn't act quickly, it would possess her fully. She couldn't let that happen.

"Oh!" she chirped in an unfamiliar voice. "Giving up, are we? How wonderful." She did not choose those words. They were forced out of her mouth-th-th ohh silly girl. Silly, delicious girl. Why are you doing this? Stoppp stoppp get out of here get out of my mind out now. Why are you fighting no stop don't let him Mari don't let him.

She felt her breath come quickly, sharply. She had to act fast or- What are you planning? Either way I'm going to eat you, so I guess I don't mind nooo get out get out **now**. Mari let go of everything. She was not in the Database. There is no such thing as the "Database". Such a thing has never existed. It is simply impossible. Impossible!

She felt a strange sensation in her legs. Like they were no longer hers. She was losing herself. No, this was not her. This was a hallucination, a dream. There is no such thing as "Kaito" or "Gumi" or "Miki" or "Luka" or any of your odd fantasy characters. It is simply your imagination.

…

Everything ended. Everything turned to black. She could no longer feel herself. There was no "Mari" or "virus" or "ground" or "sky". There was nothing. But "nothing" implies the existence of "something". When you talk about a "nothing", you are comparing. But here there was (is?) nothing to compare. No time, no space. No thought or physical form. It was and is and will be for an instant. Forever and yet maddeningly brief. Never starting and never ending. Always and never existing.

She was gone.

Listening to the pitter patter of rain outside the window, she lay there. At first, she questioned it. Was she in her bed? No, too hard. Too uncomfortable. She realized she was _sitting_ rather than lying and brought her head up at once. Her desk was messy as usual. Speakers next to her crappy old monitor, which sat atop her tower. Her fingers were still propped up on the keyboard, as if waiting for a command.

The computer clock read noon. Above it, a scan window indicated that there was nothing harmful on her system. It was made by "Fanmade Enterprises".

"Huaa," she yawned, turning off her computer. "I guess I must have dozed off." It was terribly hot still. Definitely not a day to spend doing anything besides lounging around with the AC on. She resolved to go back to bed. She had a terrible headache anyway, and for some reason, she remembered some sort of scream? One slithery and warm and with form, but thinking of whom it belonged to hurt.

She flopped back on her bed, and curled up without the aid of a blanket. Looks like it was going to be another lazy day.


End file.
